punkkiCo Dance Company seeks to create artistically satisfying performances through collaboration with artists from different disciplines in order to transform emotion into motion. Music composition, light and costume design are all pivotal in the development of the movement material, which is based on various forms of contemporary dance with theatrical influences.
punkkiCo was founded in 2005 by Raisa Punkki. Her work is a combination of intricate and detailed choreography, theatrical elements and exploration between stillness and speed. She counts her years working in theater doing plays, musicals and dance as a chief influence. This is what she says about her work: “It all comes from life.” For several years choreographer Punkki has concentrated exploring and reflecting female point of view in religion, art and politics.
Collaborators have included composers Aaron M. Gold, Albert Mathias, Mark Hertensteiner and Sylvi Alli, artist Nicole Bauguss, set and costume designer Claire Pasquier, visual artist Alice Malia and lighting designers Maria Pos Palmklint, Allen Willner, Jack Beuttler and Christian Mejia and filmmaker Pauliina Punkki.
Grants and nominations include two Lighting Artist in Dance Awards, SF Art Commission IAC Grant 2015, CHIME Across the Borders 2014 Award, two Finnish State Grants, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation Grant, Zellerbach Family Foundation and Finlandia Foundation grants and CA$H Grant.
punkkiCo’s work has been seen in several venues in San Francisco and internationally.
Their latest artistic collaboration Wanderer with choreographer, dancer Raisa Punkki, artist/ performer Alice Malia and composer Aaron M. Gold was a commissioned work for the YBCA Garden Festival's ChoreoFest July 13, 2019.
Choreographer Raisa Punkki is working on a new collaboration with San Francisco Bay Area dancers Karla Quintero and Clarissa Dyas and Finnish artist/composer Jutta Annala. This work will premier in 2022.
Choreographer Punkki's ongoing project is a ten year collaboration with film director Pauliina Punkki, called Roadmap10. Project started at Finnish countryside in 2015, second part was realized as site specific live performances in Finnish and Swedish Lappland, July 2016. Third part of this collaborative project called A Room (Of Our Own) premiered at San Francisco International Arts Festival June 1-4, 2017.
punkkiCo is fiscally sponsored by Dancers' Group.