Laura Pietiläinen

Laura Pietiläinen is a Dancer, Choreographer and most of all, she is a Performer. She lives to stay true to herself and wants to perform at international stages. Laura aims at producing comprehensive shows and recently, she even created a perfume for her show ‘Michaela – The Queen of Fucking Everything’.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I moved to Helsinki from Kemi when I was fifteen. I was one of the top rhythmic gymnasts in Finland at that time. Later I graduated from Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts and I did my Master’s Degree in Choreography. I started my doctoral studies, but I soon realized that I cannot study art and try to objectively understand it with limited concepts of mind. I felt that I have to release my critical mind in order to open new ideas, let my internal consciousness grow. I had a strong need for freedom.

After my choreography studies, I totally quit dancing for years. But I had practiced singing for a long time and eventually, the classical singing practices with Niina Vicktoria Tamminiemi opened new spheres also for my dancing. Both singing and dancing have been truly natural for me since childhood, but during a course of life, I got somehow blocked with them. At that time, when I was practicing singing and dancing simultaneously, I soon realized that I’m most of all a performer. I just love performing.

Last year I started to seek for holistic performances that could satisfy my passion. I’m a true fan of Beyoncé, she performs big and bold in her extraordinary shows. She is a true power woman, and masterfully combines singing, dancing, performing and fashion altogether. I got into Zodiak (Center for New Dance) with my concept ‘Michaela – The Queen of Fucking Everything’. It was a show based on my visions, a growth story which I presented through my alter ego, Michaela. We worked together with almost thirty people in the project team, I even had my own perfumes that were produced for this show. I was happy to encounter with a Perfumer living in France, Ayin de Sela, who created the scents. The show was a dream come true, the team was able to make it with very little time and financial support.

Now, I use Michaela to create new diverse visions. Through her, I’m able to generate harmonious and flowing energies, she is my spirit person. She is untouchable. When I use Michaela to produce new ideas, I can get rid of all that small blocking thinking that Laura sometimes has. While working through an alter ego, I’m not so vulnerable.

Since the show, I’ve continued to follow my intuition as an independent performer, and I feel that I’m in balance with my energies. I aim to collaborate with people that have a good attitude towards the world, are ethical and sustainable and somehow glow personal strength and independence. This is a journey that I’ve just started and I feel that I’ve found my calling. Now that I’m dancing, I can enjoy more than ever.

How could you describe yourself?

I’m quite a dramatic person. I feel extremely strongly and aim towards truthfulness. I want to be as honest as possible. And yes, I’m creative and a bit crazy. I love to act incorrectly every now and then, behave a bit foolish. I’m a little bit of an anarchist in that sense, I’d like to get rid of systems and structure. Through art I have more freedom to do that, and nothing can hold me. I feel that I’ve always suffered from rules and regulations and sometimes they’ve prevented me to fully express myself. Nowadays, I’ve learned to listen my deepest needs. I have to feel free, in order to love and be loved. I refuse to give authority to anyone else.

What drives you at your work / in your personal life?

I’m fascinated how the energy of creativity is unlimited, how it can produce concrete new things. Creativity can flow anywhere, but I truly have to believe my visions before anyone else. In order to perform, you have to constantly find new things and accept that I do not know anything. I always have to be ready to give up certain definitions. I want to find a way to be more and more natural to fully release my creativity. I try to avoid definitions and internal blockings to share my creativity broader. I enjoy the pure authentic energies around me. You can consciously go towards natural creativity, but can not order it.

What do you respect, what’s valuable for you?

I try to get rid of all negative thinking. It would definitely lead towards a better life and absolute love. I want to think radically that it is possible, and I consciously work for it. I learn to accept negative thoughts and thus, release them. Without accepting the unwelcome emotions they would block you and eventually be a barrier to encounter other people.

I admire people listening to their own wisdom that lies in them. If we’d fully understand ourselves, we’d accept other people better. I also value sincerity, belief of goodness. And people that try to reach their dreams.

What brings meaning to your life/ your work?

I feel it’s important to work with emotions, to let them express themselves. It makes you feel better, more complete. It is my biggest motivation in improving my life. I nowadays believe that I can be a Star, I believe that great things can happen. I want to live big, express big.

But I don’t want fame, just because of fame. For me, it is testing my strengths and boundaries. It is a way to explore new possible channels to experience marvelous things. I haven’t always thought that I’m able to reach my dreams. But I’ve gone my way, step by step, I’ve followed my intuition and realized that surprising, wonderful things start to happen. It gives faith.

I follow my energies. Where I have the biggest tensions or fears, I go towards that. I’m ready to face my fears daily. But I more and more try to concentrate on things that make me feel good, and practice to find those areas. I work daily to clean my energy blocks and remove the ones that prevent and burden me.

What does the word ‘independence’ mean to you?

I follow my internal wisdom. I’m in line with my own wisdom and try to keep connected with my inner needs. For me, independence means that I don’t compromise anymore. I work with people that act independently, like Vestiarium for example. I feel that I need to work with like-minded people, with people that are not commanded by someone or something else. The same applies with grants. Instead of being supported by grants, I nowadays want keep my independence and seek for projects that can be a direct source of income. It has been challenging, I have no colleagues who would live like that.

Independence is not loneliness, though. I look for diverse entrepreneurs - musicians, fashion designers, perfumers - for my projects to bring new elements. Dance and singing is my part, but I constantly seek inspiration from other creative people. And vice versa, it is comforting, when I see other people trust what I’m doing.

I know that I am good at my work, I just follow my energies and wisdom at that moment. Work does not feel like work, sometimes it only energizes me. I have to work independently, then I’m contacted with myself the most and can channel the art more freely.

Is independence visible at your work? How about in your free time?

I practice independence all the time, in my relationship with my friends and family. I practice my independence with friends that are strong and friends that are supportive. I haven’t always been able to be energetically independent, I haven’t always been able to protect personal borders. But now I’m working to find the balance. I feel that most of all independence means that I am responsible for myself to improve my well-being. To achieve that, I try to communicate my emotions and deliver direct messages. I seek for moments that make me feel good and try to believe in the goodness and innocence in other people.

How do you balance your life between work and free time?

I feel more relaxed when I’m working. Art is part of my ordinary life, I feel that I don’t even know how to live any other way. I feel that doing art is like a vacation to me, I know no other way to relax. During the day, I can work with mental practices. And now that I’ve found my energies, I’ve been able to remove the blockings also from my free time and found a sensuous, flowing way of being.

What skill are you still going to learn?

I want to and have to develop the skills I already have. I’d like to learn to sing even better and find a voice that satisfies me. I’d like to learn how to make own songs – how to compose and write lyrics. And I’d like to know how to make money!

What cannot you live without?

I always want to believe in goodness and hope. It sounds like a cliché, but I cannot live without faith, hope and love. It also sounds quite Christian, but I don’t separate religions. Sometimes you understand the wisdom in a religion, sometimes you don’t. But you should never make dogmas of those three. Because life, in general, consists of spontaneous moments of deep realizations of life.

What would you tell for the teenager Laura?

I’d like her to understand that she has a lot of skills. And that nobody should make her believe that she wouldn’t already have the skills she needs and wishes for. I’d like her to know, that she already has what she dreams of.

What do you expect from the future?

I’d like to be a world-famous performer. I’d like to perform abroad and be able to execute my visions concretely. They’re really big! I take one step at the time. I let my path lead me, and I’m ready to find out where it takes me, and aim to keep my dreams alive.

And yes, one of my biggest dreams is to get rid of all negativity in me. I have an excellent mental coach, she helps me to grow spiritually, to remove the unnecessary blockings. I find it truly important to have like-minded people around me, who appreciate dreams just like me.

How would you describe your style?

My style is in constant movement – I like to combine things. At first glance, my garments might not seem to fit together, but then they find a way to supplement each other. Often my style is a combination of sensuality and girlish, comfort and style. And I always want to have garments that are good in movement.

As a child, I was quite fascinated about fashion, I had quite extraordinary clothing combinations! As a young adult, I felt that the attention on looks is somehow secondary, and superficial. But nowadays I feel that clothing can really support my inner emotions. I feel that garments have the power to change the energies into positive ones. Clothing can really make you feel good, or sensual, or strong. Dressing up is part of the identity and for me in that sense part of independence. I dare to choose the garments I want and dress my way. I decide how I look and refuse to be part of the common opinion.

Hair by Joonas Lampi