17.9.–17.10.2026
The Pond
Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth’s and Carl Knif Company’s co-production The Pond is a bittersweet story about growing up and having the courage to be yourself.
Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth’s and Carl Knif Company’s co-production The Pond is a bittersweet story about growing up and having the courage to be yourself.
This wordless performance tells the story of a chicken named Candy who dreams of being an elegant swan. Inspired by her dreams, Candy takes the audience on a journey to a world filled with imagination, where play and creativity help us understand emotions and ourselves on an ever-deeper level.
Candy is a wanderer whose clothes are covered in dust from the desert and whose shoes are worn out from wandering through many lands. One day, she happens to stumble upon a theatre. Candy finds the theatre to be an exciting and fascinating place, and soon she finds her way to the performers’ dressing room. The enchanting lights of the vanity mirror and the dazzling costumes inspire her to let her imagination run wild.
Suddenly, Candy remembers her long-held dream: she wants to meet the swans. Resourceful and energetic, she sets out to find the swans of an enchanted forest, and eventually finds her way there. However, not even Candy herself realises the true significance and consequences of this encounter.
The performance combines clowning and dance, and it also addresses difficult topics with gentleness and humour.
The Pond marks the first collaboration between Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth and Carl Knif Company. The original idea for the performance came from Gabriela Muñoz, one of the world’s most renowned clowns, who plays the role of Candy. Carl Knif last visited Hurjaruuth in 2019 when he created a stage adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
Working group
Choreographer and director: Carl Knif
Written by: Carl Knif, Gabriela Muñoz
Performers: Gabriela Muñoz, Riku Lehtopolku, Anna Stenberg, Eero Vesterinen
Sound designer: Janne Hast
Light and set designer: Jukka Huitila
Costume designer: Valentina Muñoz
Audience engagement designer: Paule Aladin
Photos: Marko Mäkinen
Production: Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth & Carl Knif Company
Supported by: Amos Anderson Fund, City of Helsinki, Finnish Arts and Culture Agency, Stiftelsen Tre Smeder, Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland
Ticket prices
17 € child, adult, pensioner, unemployed
10 € group ticket (per child), day cares and schools, morning performances
5 € teacher ticket (with group)
10 € theatre professional (1 ticket per card no earlier than a week before the show.)
Assistant seating available free of charge. We are a Disability Card service provider.
Group tickets are available through Hurjaruuth’s customer service by phone or by email.
Location and accessibility
Hurjaruuth Stage (Tallberginkatu 1 A, 2nd floor) is located at the Cable Factory, a well-known cultural centre. Read more about how to get there.
About accessibility: There are wheelchair spaces in front of the seating area (2 slots). There is an induction loop at our stage. Assistant seating available free of charge. We are a Disability Card service provider. Read more about accessibility at the Cable Factory
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our customer service!
Services
Coatroom: In the corridor between Hurjaruuth’s foyer and the stage there is a free self-service coatroom. NB! Our theatre is not responsible for any items or clothes left in the coatroom.
The foyer: There’s a small cafe open in the foyer before the evening and weekend shows, Please note that we only accept card payments.
Toilet facilities: Next to the coatroom there is an accessible toilet with childcare facilities and other unisex toilets.
Date
17.9.–17.10.2026
Duration
50 min
Tickets
17 € / children’s groups 10 € per ticket
Venue
Hurjaruuth Stage, Cable Factory
Suggested age
4 years and up
Other
Non-verbal performance.
We have an induction loop and an accessible restroom. Accessible access via the elevator in staircase B. For more information, please visit the Instructions and contact page of our website.
The Pond’s audience outreach program consists of four parts:
- Dive – activities in the foyer before the performance
- Splash – activities on the stage after the performance
- Relaxed performance 3.10.
- Artist discussion 10.10.
Dive
The dive into the world of The Pond begins at Hurjaruuth’s foyer before every performance. While waiting for the show to start you can get busy with activities related to the performance. All the materials are provided in the foyer. You only need to reserve a bit of time for independent creation!
Splash
At the Splash event you can meet the artists of The Pond after all morning shows starting at 10 am and after all Saturday performances. Duration approx. 15 minutes.
Joining both the Dive and the Splash is Paule Aladin, audience’s friend.
Relaxed performance 3.10.
Welcome to a performance in a more sensory-friendly environment!
Hurjaruuth organises a relaxed performance of The Pond on Saturday, October 3rd at 3pm. In this performance, the biggest sensory stimuli have been minimized.
Before the performance, we will hold an introduction to the work in our audience foyer. You will receive information about the stimulus descriptions, the flow, duration, themes, and the sound and light landscape of the performance. There is no music in our audience foyer during this performance.
In Hurjaruuth’s performances, you can always move, react, leave, and return during the performance. In this performance, the light in the auditorium is dim so that you can leave and return safely if necessary. The audience foyer serves as a quiet room where you can also rest during the performance. In this performance, we will not give a loud applause.
There is also a small sensory bag in the foyer, which contains a small number of sensory toys and hearing protection. You can bring your own sunglasses, earplugs and, for example, a sensory toy.
Performance is facilitated by Paule Aladin, audience’s friend.
Artist Discussion 10.10.
On Saturday, October 10th at 3 pm, after the performance, The Pond’s director-choreographer Carl Knif will join the Splash. You are welcome to ask questions, comment and discuss the performance with Calle, the performance’s dramaturg and performer Gaby, and the other performers!
Discussion is facilitated by Paule Aladin, audience’s friend.
