ÉLIXIR DE MER
Élixir de Mer invites the audience into a corporeal ritual where experiences of different senses interlace into a physical tapestry.
The work draws inspiration from the sense of smell and its ability to awaken embodied memories, as well as from the refined techniques of perfume-making—the ritualistic devotion of extracting elixirs.
Perfumes were already used in ancient Egypt for seduction and as symbols of power. Scents also offered a means to connect with divine figures, opening communication between heaven and earth. Beyond pleasure, the sense of smell carries social taboos, for the experience of scent brings another body close; it opens a space of shared intimacy.
In our world dominated by sight, the physicality of odors tunes our bodies to vibrate, and Élixir de Mer explores their resonance through dance, sound, and space. It seeks the layered harmonies of scents that remain within us for weeks, months, years.
Élixir de Mer is the fourth part of choreographer Johanna Nuutinen’s series of works exploring the senses.
Organizer: Johanna Nuutinen +Collaborators
A few carefully selected scents are used in the performance. Please arrive fragrance-free.
PRESS
“Johanna Nuutinen +Collaborators have created their most beautiful and moving piece.”
“The extraordinarily beautiful Élixir de Mer is an invitation to an honest and comforting ceremony of ending and letting go.”
“Exceptional dancers Manon Andral and Clémentine Herveux.”
“Élixir de Mer is a carefully crafted whole that flows organically between tenderness and harshness.”
“Élixir de Mer culminates in a synthesis of choreography, dance, light, sound, costume, and the senses.”
“It is a gift that Johanna Nuutinen and her team are the ones bringing scent back into dance. Élixir de Mer is the fourth — and finest — part of Nuutinen’s series exploring the senses.”
“Élixir de Mer feels alive, immediate, and powerful. Everything falls into place — even the silences, pauses, and pacing — thanks to the work of dramaturg Riikka Laakso.”
“Composer and sound designer Ville Kabrell’s endlessly fascinating soundscape could easily be enjoyed with your eyes closed — but it’s not worth it. You need to witness how Lauri Lundahl’s magical lighting slices through and transforms the majestic hall.”
Henna Raatikainen, HS, 26.9.2025
AUDIENCE FEEDBACK
“Absolutely incredible performance! You’ve got to see it!”
“I rarely recommend anything, but this time I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it — big time and with full conviction!”
“This was damn amazing! Highly recommended!”
“I recommend it with great passion!”
“A powerful, all-encompassing experience!”
“A truly stunning and inventive production!”
“An unprecedented fusion of scent and dance! An insanely visionary creative team!”
“Absolutely mind-blowing!”
“One of the most powerful dance performances ever!”
PERFORMANCES
Wed 30.09.2026 at 18:30
Thu 01.10.2026 at 18:30
Fri 02.10.2026 at 18:30
Sat 03.10.2026 at 15:00
Duration: approximately 1h 10 min.
TICKETS
BUY TICKETS HERE !
Early Bird standard ticket 28 € available until 19.6.!
Standard ticket | 31,50€
Discount ticket | 25 € (pensioners, students, under 25 yrs., unemployed, conscripts and civil servants).
Group ticket | 24 € (minimum 10 person)
Friend ticket I 4 tickets for the price of 3
Pay What You Can | A small number of “Pay What You Can” tickets are also on sale for the performance. PWYC tickets are available at the info point that is located at the Cable Factory’s Glass Courtyard and here. Read more about Pay What You Can tickets and other ticket information.
The auditorium is unnumbered.
Tickets can also be bought from the Box office at the Cable Factory’s Glass Courtyard.
Ticket inquiries: please contact Dance House Helsinki: info@tanssintalo.fi
AUDIENCE DISCUSSIONS 2026
More info coming soon!
VENUE
Pannu hall, Dance House Helsinki
Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki
More info about the venue: https://www.tanssintalo.fi/en/info
CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTOR:
Johanna Nuutinen
DANCERS:
Clémentine Herveux, Andrea Martin
CHOREOGRAPHY:
Johanna Nuutinen in collaboration with Clémentine Herveux, Manon Andral
DRAMATURG:
Riikka Laakso
SOUND DESIGNER AND COMPOSER:
Ville Kabrell
LIGHT DESIGNER AND TECHNICAL PRODUCER:
Lauri Lundahl
SPATIAL DESIGERS:
Johanna Nuutinen, Lauri Lundahl
SCENTS PROVIDED BY:
Eero Niskanen / Sevende Aromas
PRODUCERS:
Aurora Millasnoore, Johanna Nuutinen
PRODUCTION:
Johanna Nuutinen +Collaborators
PROMO PICTURES:
Maisa Immonen
PERFORMANCE PICTURES:
Kai Kuusisto
PERFORMANCE TRAILER:
Teemu Kyytinen
SUPPORTERS
Arts Promotion Centre Finland
City of Helsinki
Finnish Cultural Foundation
Kone Foundation