Getting Through It Together!
“For better and for worse” doesn’t always apply. Whether a loving father walks the bride down the aisle or two acrobats are paired in some form of arranged acrobatic marriage, some couples aren’t meant to reach their platinum anniversary. This is how two Finnish minds earned their peers’ respect and reached that 20-year mark.
Summoned by the European Federation of Professional Circus Schools, 20 duos converged in Madrid for its 2006 hand-to-hand convention. Porters and flyers gathered to master “petite boule” and “Diamidov,” among other sequences. Tall young men came to throw and catch their smaller female partners. Two bodies stood out in the crowd: not only for sharing similar heights, but for being both women. Having grown up in Finland where girls outnumber boys in youth circuses, Lotta Paavilainen and Stina Kopra teamed up in rather unusual circumstances!
“I started out as an Icarian games flyer and getting on top of pyramids. My coach moved me to the bottom after I broke an arm and could no longer fly. Lotta broke hers when she fell off the trapeze and, seeing that I was gaining confidence as a porter, our coach pushed us to create a duo. It’s funny to think that two broken arms brought us together!” laughs off Kopra.
Having spent their youth seeing sisters and cousins pairing up in circuses, it never occurred to them that two girls doing hand-to-hand could be odd. At least, not until they entered Brussels’ ESAC, found out they were the circus school’s first female hand-to-hand pair, and wound up surrounded by mixed pairs in Madrid! If broken bones brought them together, then single-mindedness and stubbornness cemented their partnership. “We just tried everything we could think of technically and found a mutual trust early on. Quitting never was an option! We’d show them!” says Paavilainen with confidence.
Of those 20 couples, most have parted ways, and only a handful are still on stage today. Meanwhile, this duo celebrated 20 years of performances and friendship by birthing a brand-new show based on their journey: 20 years later, Still here! Their mutual respect and the open communication they adopted early on allowed them to find their balance on and off the rola bola. Such qualities and how committed they both were to making it a career are the roots of their longevity.
“Working together gave me a lot and it felt like the most constant thing in my life when I was still a child. We were part of an amazing community of young artists and trusted each other every step of the way. Trust cannot be promised with words, but shown by actions. Stina never blamed or scolded me when something went wrong. You want to talk about the mistake, not let it affect the work and your relationship,” explains the Finnish flyer.
Her porter nods and underlines that trust is the core of hand-to-hand. A flyer cannot doubt nor be afraid at any time and it’s the porter’s job to maintain this bond. “Knowing that their porter will be there no matter what is essential for a flyer. Partnering is more of a psychological job at times and our feelings can influence the other. If I’m nervous, she’ll feel it and her own stress level will rise,” adds Kopra.
In spite of having joined ESAC, it took some time for the pair to feel accepted by their coaches and peers. Nobody really wanted to work with them and those who did seem to be reluctant in doing so. That’s when that golden trust and their single-mindedness paid off, as the two relentlessly tried and tried again to get good tricks under their belt and feet!
With the same focus and their so-called stubbornness, “Lotta et Stina” became part of the gang and each year brought them closer to the vision they had of a unique act. While the school board described their first year’s piece as disappointing for its lack of research, the pair cheered for succeeding at bringing hand-to-hand moves to the rola bola. Their second training year was one for growth, figuring out what their strengths were, and bringing their vision of what strong women could be to the Young Stage Festival‘s first edition.
By the time graduation came about, they had found the tricks that worked best with what they wanted to convey, how to shine technically and artistically, and were thrilled to join a collective creation led by Rolf Alme. This project taught them to be very precise, demanded every ounce of energy twenty-something acrobats have in them, and proved that they were at least as relevant as any hand-to-hand duo.
When the lights come on onstage and the audience sees them walking in their fancy suits and high heels, they see two women well put together with their chins held high and a spark in their eyes that can be read as pride, defiance, or pure joy, depending on the day. Whichever sentiment spectators get, none can predict that the pair will eventually trade those suits for extremely different outfits without getting off that moving board!
“Our personalities, our struggles to find our place as females in a man’s world, facing people’s expectations as to what a woman’s body should look like… It all went into this act! It feels and has always felt very personal. The response has been so great that people are still requesting it, so many years later!” says Kopra, somewhat baffled.
The toll it takes to be a woman, the pressure that society exercises, and breaking free from it all took a significant part in their writing process. Angelique Willkie, a dance teacher with whom they worked at ESAC, encouraged them to stand up for who they were and let this message resonate with the audience.
After two decades spent facing the unknown on and off stage, the pair reckons that they can get through anything. Exchanging looks is often all they need when things go off the rails. However, they both know the necessity of addressing a situation in order to move forward. “There’s a Finnish saying about things vanishing if you don’t talk about them, but that doesn’t work, and a few words can suffice to solve a situation. After a 12-hour day spent together, [saying] I’d like to walk home alone tonight is enough to express how I feel and be understood,” explains Paavilainen.
They always ask for separate accommodations and believe in the importance of having their own space to better reunite and have things to share. As a result, they’ve come up with rituals for the friends they are, such as finding a local bar for a feast of beer and chips after a full day of street shows or flying out to an exotic surfing location on their off-season. Friends only; no business talk!
When business is brought to the table, their resume speaks for itself with performances in dinner shows like Palazzo or Palais im Park and street festivals all over Europe; creating a full show with a cast of friends at the Krystallpalast Varieté; touring France with Cirque Baroque; or being a part of Mad in Finland. The latter involved seven Finnish women given “Carte Blanche” for two shows in Brittania. Five days, their own inspiration and aspirations were all they had. Adrenaline and a sense of community brought the best out of the whole and the positive response it got from both the industry and audiences made a subsequent tour possible. This show is a definite career highlight for the pair.
Having had the chance to grow on stage and explore new avenues, like comedy and more character work, for many years, Paavilainen and Kopra sat down in 2021 to reflect and write on their partnership. Their running joke that they ought to make a show to mark their friendship’s platinum anniversary suddenly appeared like the logical next step rather than a laughing matter. The Finnish government believed in their vision, acknowledged what they had accomplished, and awarded them a research and creation grant. Based on real-life events and misadventures, the show is somewhat of a physical theater-driven biopic. Laughter appeared early on as one of the piece’s central themes if only because the two love to laugh and, to quote Kopra, they “just have fun together. We always have!”
20 years later, Still here premiered on May 6th, 2023, in Tampere, their hometown. Filled with pride and gratitude, they embraced the partner who had been there every step of the way for 20 years. Both take pride in never giving up and always being there to support each other. The gratitude came from being able to witness a friend’s artistic growth and the mature performer she had become with every show.
What now? Are there 20 more years ahead? “Let’s tour the show! It touched the industry, the community, and our age group as well as the general audience. And, well, let’s have another one for our 40th!” they answered in unison.
Images shared by the article author.
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