Julian Nicosia – Bintou Dembélé – Larkin Poynton Olabarria
Pulse
Feel the pulse of street dance
Pulse brings three new works to the Finnish National Ballet, each with a distinct movement language and approach to dance, challenging the dancers while showcasing their brilliance and versatility.
The evening opens with Julian Nicosia’s contemporary dance choreography Lips on the ground, followed by –en mode marron–, created by French street dance pioneer Bintou Dembélé. The programme concludes with Hegoak by Larkin Poynton Olabarria, who also draws on street dance in his movement language. The work explores the tension between dreams and belonging.
The evening’s musical landscape, a mix of live orchestral performances and recorded tracks, creates striking contrasts, ensuring that everyone from first-time visitors to seasoned ballet enthusiasts can find their own favourite moment.
More than a mere stage performance, Pulse is also an event before and after the show, and during the interval. Dance always has its own rhythm, and on this evening, the pulse of street dance takes over the Finnish National Ballet.
Pre- and post-show party for Pulse
lips on the ground
”Amid the stillness of emotional shock, a hidden garden whispers of forgotten growth. Recovery is not the return to what was, but the blossoming of what might yet be. A sudden shattering disrupts the fragile harmony of life, leaving behind cracks in the foundation of what once felt certain. Through the fractures, a new path emerges, showing that even in our most fragmented moments, there is room for renewal, connection, and the quiet, unexpected beauty of transformation. Even in our most fragmented moments, both humanity and the universe hold the power for renewal, connection, and unexpected beauty.”
– Julian Nicosia
– en mode marron –
”In my creative process, dance, music, and sound engage in dialogue. I reflect on how to reinvent the form of a timeless ritual, which is built on repetitive music, breath-based vocalisation or mimicked breathing, circular movements, and polyphonic rhythmic sound—all unfolding in a live performance.”
– Bintou Dembélé
Hegoak
”Inspired by the myth of Icarus and the Basque folk song Txoria Txori, Hegoak explores the tension between aspiration and belonging. It reflects on ambition, freedom, and the delicate balance between flight and fall, individuality and heritage. Just as Icarus’s ambition led to his downfall, the work questions whether true freedom lies in transcending one’s origins or in embracing them, and the danger of pushing beyond limits. Reflecting my personal journey from the Basque countryside to the world, Hegoak invites the audience to reflect on their own struggles with freedom, ego, and identity. The result is a layered, fragmented exploration of history, identity, and the yearning for release.”
– Larkin Poynton Olabarria
Creative team
Lips on the Ground
- Choreography
- Julian Nicosia
- Music (recording)
- Janiv Oron, Michael Anklin
- Visualization
- Julian Nicosia
- Sets
- Annabelle Peintre
- Lighting design
- Tom Visser
– en mode marron –
- Choreographer and director
- Bintou Dembélé
- Music
- Steve Reich
- Stylist
- Laurianne Scimemi
- Lighting design
- Tom Visser
Hegoak
- Choreography
- Larkin Poynton Olabarria
- Music
- Arvo Pärt
- Visualization
- Larkin Poynton Olabarria
- Lighting design
- Tom Visser
- Conductor
- Ross Jamie Collins
cast
Lips on the Ground
– en mode marron –
- Muusikko
- Touko Leinonen
- Muusikko
- Sampo Kuusisto
Hegoak
Stage24: More about the work
tickets and performances
Pre-party: 6:15–7 p.m., after-party: 9–11 p.m., call time 10:30 p.m.
secure your seat with a season ticket
The keys to an entertaining evening
The performance takes place on our Main Stage, which has no fewer than 1,300 seats in its auditorium. Please note that the 3rd balcony is very high up. It provides an impressive view, but the front-row seats on this level may not suit those with a fear of heights. Explore the Main Stage and find out more about where to sit. You can also compare the view from different parts of the auditorium.
Price categories: Seats in the auditorium are priced according to the view of the stage and divided into eight price categories (A–H). In addition to seat location, the price is affected by the performance date and demand. Only standard-priced tickets are available in the lowest price categories (F–H).
Discounts
Discounts are available for selected productions, performances, and seats in the Stalls and the 1st and 2nd Balconies, unless otherwise indicated.
- Pensioners: €10 discount per ticket for selected seats in the Stalls and the 1st Balcony. The discount is available to all holders of the card for national pension recipients and anyone aged 65 or over.
- Students, military and non-military servicemen: 40% discount on the full ticket price.
- Children and those aged 20 and under: 40–50% discount on the full ticket price.
- Same-day tickets: A special rate of €30 per ticket is available for those aged 20 and under, students, military and non-military servicemen, the unemployed, and pensioners. The discount applies to seats in the Stalls, no earlier than 12 hours before the performance and subject to availability.
Please note that full-price and concessionary tickets for under-20s, students, and pensioners can be exchanged in our online store free of charge up to 24 hours before the performance. The value of the ticket(s) is credited to your customer account for later use.
Children and young people up to the age of 20 are eligible for a 40–50% discount on ticket prices.
Please note that children under the age of 5 are not admitted to Main Stage performances. The age recommendation for each production can be found at the top of its dedicated page.
For the best view, we recommend seats in the front Stalls or the centre of the 1st Balcony. If you’re unsure which seats would be most suitable, our customer service team will be happy to help you find the best options.
To ensure an enjoyable and memorable visit, see our Visiting with children page for more tips.
You can easily purchase accessible seats either through our online store or customer service. On the auditorium map, you can check the locations of accessible seats in the Main Stage auditorium (pdf). The accessible seats are marked with wheelchair icons to make choosing your seat easier.
Read more detailed instructions for purchasing accessible seats and ensure your visit is effortlessly enjoyable from start to finish.
The programme booklet provides background information about the production, its creators, and the story. It is published on the day of the premiere and can be purchased before the performance from the customer service desk in the Töölönlahti lobby, the sales desk at the Mannerheimintie entrance, all open counters of the Opera Restaurant, and selected members of our lobby staff. The price of the programme booklet is €7.
You can also buy the programme booklet in advance from our customer service desk or online via the Order refreshments page. See more detailed instructions here on how to purchase the programme booklet on the Order refreshments page.
The digital cast details for each opera and ballet, including the evening’s cast and creative team, are published online no later than on the day of the performance (please note that the link opens in a separate window). Cast details are also available on the displays and touch screens in the foyers, as well as under the My events tab in the mobile app.
Enhance your experience with refreshments. You can enjoy refreshments before the performance or during the interval. We recommend placing your order in advance, either through our online store or by calling our customer service. If tables are still available, online sales close no later than 24 hours before the performance.
Using the Opera&Ballet mobile app, you can order interval refreshments to a pick-up counter until shortly before the performance begins. Learn more about pick-up orders.
The Opera House is located by Töölönlahti bay. Our address is Helsinginkatu 58, which is well served by public transport.
The main entrance on the Mannerheimintie side usually opens 1.5 hours before the start of a Main Stage performance. Please make sure you arrive in good time, at least 15 minutes before the performance begins. Latecomers are only admitted after the interval so as not to disturb the performance.
At the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, our audiences and staff are committed to safer space principles. Everyone has the right to enjoy art in a safe environment, and we do not tolerate harassment, discrimination or inappropriate language or behaviour.
How to dress for the performance? Can I wear perfume? Do I need to pay for the cloakroom? Find answers to these questions and more on our Tips for visitors page. We have put together a comprehensive guide to help make your visit to the Opera House a success.