Profile
Training
2020-2022 Royal Central School of Speech and Drama - MFA Movement: Directing & Teaching
2020 Mountview - Director’s evening studio
2018 Somatic Studio - Somatic Pilates Teacher
2016-2017 Theatre Academy Helsinki, Open University - Complementary studies in Physical Theatre
2011-2015 Novia University of Applied Sciences - BA Physical Theatre
2010-2011 Västra Nylands Folkhögskola - One year programme in dance
2009 Sport Massage Institute of Finland - Licensed Massage Therapist
2005-2008 Vaskivuori Upper Secondary School - Baccalaureate, general upper secondary education diploma in dance
Experience
Movement Experience whilst on the MFA Movement: Directing and teaching
2021 Movement directing for the final production of the MA Acting students at Guildford School of Acting, The Light Burns Blue, directed by Phyllida Crowley Smith. Placement for MFA Movement: Directing and Teaching course (RCSSD)
2021 Lecturer in mime, Central St Martin’s College of Arts, London
2021 Teaching movement fundamentals for 1st and 2nd year acting students (BA Acting: Collaborative and Devised Theatre). Placement for MFA Movement: Directing and Teaching course (RCSSD), mentored by Robert Vesty
Productions
2020 Theatre director & Movement director, Mitt Hjärta slår hårdare än du, Liv & Sunna Nordgren, Järvsö (Sweden)
2020 Theatre Director, Vi och Vilda Väsen, Teater Kojan, Turku (Finland)
2017-2019 Physical theatre actor, The Desk, Reetta Honkakoski Company, Helsinki, Pori, (Finland), Edinburgh (UK)
2018 Physical theatre actor, HERE, Reetta Honkakoski Company, Helsinki, (Finland)
2018 Physical theatre actor & Theatre director, Platform project — Peter Pan, Physical Opera, Helsinki, (Finland)
2017 Movement director and Theatre director, A Kind of Alaska, Malenkiteatteri, Helsinki, (Finland)
2017 Dancer, Macbeth, Again! Myllyteatteri/Real Contact Project dir. Akira Hino— Helsinki (Finland)
2016 Dancer, Il Ritorno di Ulisse, Orpheus’ Muses dir. Ville Saukkonen — Helsinki (Finland)
2015 Actor, Om Ett Drömspel dir. Tom Fjordefalk — Vaasa (Finland)
2015 Actor/Performer, Volmar blue(s), Solo work — Vaasa, Helsinki, (Finland)
2013 Actor/Dancer, Eh, Toubab! — Toubab dialaw, (Senegal) Vaasa, Helsinki, (Finland)
2013 Actor, Vasilisa, dir. Steina Öhman — Vaasa (Finland)
2012 Actor, Troijas döttrar, dir. Steina Öhman — Vaasa (Finland)
Teaching
2018-2020 Pilates teacher, Bloom Wellbeing / ViaVital Terveyspalvelut / Studio Yin / Private clients
2018 Movement director and assistant director, ‘Tuntemattoman eläimen jäljet’, Vaskivuori Upper Secondary School, Vantaa, (Finland)
2016 Theatre teacher & Director & Choreographer for 6th grade students, Storänge skola, Espoo (Finland)
2015 Dance teacher, Vantaa Dance School
2015 Theatre teacher & director for 9th grade students, Hoplaxskola, Helsinki, (Finland)
2014 Dance & acrobatic teacher, Taikon, Vaasa (Finland)
2013 Theatre teacher for 8th grade students, Vasa Övningsskola, Vaasa (Finland)
Awards
2019 The Scotman’s Fringe First Award with The Desk by Reetta Honkakoski Company
Biography
Sonja Järvisalo is a movement director, director, actor/performer, and a movement teacher, with a background in physical theatre. Sonja loves theatre that embraces the potential of human body as a vehicle to reach the levels of humanity that go beyond the limitation of words. Movement based and stylized theatre is close to her heart. Mime, clown and partner work have all had an important role in Sonja’s artistic journey. Collaborative approaches to theatre making are very important to her.
Sonja has a BA in physical theatre from Novia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), and a long history with release-based contemporary dance. Her training drew on Jaques Lecoq’s pedagogy, and influenced by Asian & European dance theatre forms. She spent one term in Senegal, studying West African rhythms and dance styles.
Sonja works in various roles within performing arts, and she is also a trained sport massage therapist and a Pilates teacher. She is now undertaking her MFA in Movement: Directing and Teaching in RCSSD.
Skills
Movement directing, Directing, Acting, Devising, Ensemble work, Pilates, Movement Fundamentals, Mime, Mask, Clown, Neutral work, Floor work, Acrobatics for beginners, Body education, Contact improvisation, Dance improvisation, Mimodynamics
Languages
Finnish, English, Swedish