KARELIAN SINGING AND RHYTHM – REETTA-KAISA ILES

Singing together fulfills our ancient need for connection and belonging, releases happiness hormones, and allows us to access emotional states beyond our individual reach. In this course, we will explore the deep-rooted aesthetics of archaic folk music and dance, the grounding power of minimalist melodies and rhythms, the ecstatic nature of Kalevala-style polyphonic call-and-response singing, and the Karelian tradition of rhythmically accentuating unaccompanied song by stomping the ground. Expect a communal, body-voice cleansing experience—oscillating between silent enchantment and wholehearted vocal outbursts. Let us sing out loud, cry grand laments, or send a shout beyond the border, to our ancestors or authorities—whatever each of us feels the need for.

Reetta-Kaisa Iles is a freelance dance artist, folk singer, and educator with Karelian roots. In the music world, she performs as a singer-dancer in Suistamon Sähkö, an arctic ethno-techno band, as a member of Tanssilauluja, a folk quartet, and as a teacher of dance and improvisation at the Sibelius Academy’s folk music department. In the dance field, Iles is the artistic director of Kokkolan Talvitanssit festival and works as a choreographer in Finland’s independent arts scene.

Her passion lies in the integration of movement and voice, as well as in the interaction between musicians and dancers. She is drawn to holistic performance—one that embodies present-moment physicality, an authentic personal voice, sensitivity to others, and the courage to be vulnerable through self-expression. 

The course is conducted as a collective experience for the entire camp and is suitable for both seasoned singers and those new to singing