Kahlekuningatar is a contemporary circus performance in which aerial acrobatics utilising metal chains open up perspectives on the relationships between power, control and the body.
Circus artist Saana Leppänen’s solo performance Kahlekuningatar examines gender inequality through circus. The titular ‘Queen of Chains’ dives into intersections of power, gender and the body: not humbly, but with a crown on her head.
On stage, we will see a person whose aerial acrobatics featuring metal chains are simultaneously brutal and beautiful. The chains are both an obstacle and a facilitator, an instrument of power and a symbol of freedom.
The performance plays with forms and meanings of gender, unravelling roles and exposing their ridiculous power structures. Drag aesthetics, bodiliness that highlights gender stereotypes and flashy flirtatious energy are intertwined with physical circus art.
Kahlekuningatar is a tribute to those who break their chains and make noise about their rights.
Concept and performance: Saana Leppänen
Composition and music: Thibaud Rancoeur
Lighting design: Jaakko Sirainen
Production: Sirkus Aikamoinen
Performance duration: 45 min
Recommended age: 12+
Age rating: 7
The performance is non-verbal.
Content notes: The performance uses flickering lights and artificial fog. Furthermore, the use of metal chains may evoke violent associations with restraint and liberation.
Photo: Chonkyfilms (Heikki Järvinen & Emil Virtanen)
