BIOGRAPHY

Maija Lepistö (Helsinki, 1980) has choreographed, directed and produced several solo and group choreographies since 2003, and worked as a dancer, clapper/palmera, assistant director and costume designer in several companies as Compañía Belén Maya and Compañía Kaari&Roni Martin. Lepistö has featured on the most important flamenco festivals in Europe such as Festival Flamenco Nîmes and Flamenco Biënnale Nederland, and has been also teaching flamenco throughout her career.

Lepistö is a professional member of the Association of Finnish Dance Artists and Asociación de Profesionales de la Danza de Madrid.

STUDIES

Lepistö began her flamenco dance studies at the age of 11 in Helsinki. Some years later, in order to receive professional training, she moved to Seville, where she studied flamenco for several years (Fundación de Arte Flamenco de Cristina Heeren, Flamenco Abierto Andrés Marín, Academia de Flamenco de Manuel Betanzos, Academia Ados and Centro de Arte Flamenco), completing her studies in Madrid (Centro de Arte Flamenco y Danza Española Amor de Dios).

CHOREOGRAPHICAL WORK

Lepistö made her debut as a choreographer in 2003 with the piece Aquelarre Flamenco, representing Spanish traditions from Galicia to Andalusia and different forms of regional dance in Spain. In her work she has also combined Finnish tradicional music and flamenco. Recent choreographic works include Batácora (2018) in co-operation with Marja Rautakorpi and Fucsia, vino & fandango (2018), a production for fifteen dancers from her flamenco dance training project.

• Batácora (with Marja Rautakorpi, ​​2022 & 2018)

• Fucsia, vino & fandango (2018)

• El Guadalquivir no pasa por París (2013)

• Aurinko – The Sun (2011)

• Aikaa aamuun – Until Dawn (2010)

• Rojo (2009)

• Sum … (with Katerina la Greca in 2008)

• Camaroneo (with Tove Djupsjöbacka 2004)

• Aquelarre flamenco (2003)

PERFORMING AND DANCER´S WORK

Maija Lepistö started working as a dancer in a local tablao as in several flamenco projects in Finland while studying at primary school. As a professional she has performed in Flamenco Festival in Nîmes (France), Flamenco Biënnale (Netherlands), Helsinki Flamenco Festival and Tampere Flamenco Festival (Finland), Nordic Flamenco Festival (Stockholm), Kuopio Dance Festival (Finland), Barents Dance Festival (Norway) and Flamingo Contemporary Flamenco Festival (Finland).

She has performed in several companies and projects since 1996: Invitados (Compañía Belén Maya), Pippi Longstockings, Tell Me Rain and ¡Olé Piazzolla! (Compañía Kaari Martin), Ganivet – Letters from Finland (Ramón Maronier), La Kalevala (Tove Djupsjöbacka and Kaari Martin), Casa de Bernarda Alba (Katja Lundén and Kaari Martin), Al Aire (Katja Lindroos), Movimientos (Laura Vilhonen), Al Golpe (Erika Alajärvi), Despertar (Anna Niinimäki).

TEACHING

Lepistö has worked as flamenco teacher since 2002. Based in Seville, she created in 2008 “Flamenco dance training project” in Finland, travelling from Seville to Helsinki once a month to teach advanced dance students. During 10 years more than 100 dancers including advanced students and dance teachers from all over Finland have taken part of it. Lepistö has also taught in the United States and Japan.