ABOUT

Janis Heldmann is a research assistant, educator and performer currently working in the Acoustics Lab at Aalto University, Espoo, Finland. His higher education began with a Bachelor’s degree in NanoEngineering in Germany. He extended his experience of different cultures and people in an international career as a performer in artistic and pedagogical socio-cultural projects. To combine the passion for technology, communication and the human experience Janis pursued a master’s degree in Acoustics and Audiotechnology at Aalto University in Finland with a focus on spatial sound and efficient algorithms in augmented, virtual and mixed realities.

As a teacher and educator he gathered pedagogical experiences since 2008 in teaching dance classes for the cultural programme of LAG MUSIK in schools and youth centres, giving seminar workshops in urban dance for Folkwang University contemporary dance students, and leading professional trainings for theatre dance ensembles. For young dancers, he directed with Miriam Michel the dance and theater piece WER BIN ICH? (2018) exploring gender and identity, and with Nella Turkki #LUFT dealing with the impact of climate change.

As a performer for dance and music, he has been collaborating since 2009 with RENEGADE / Pottporus e.V. exploring the borders of urban and contemporary dance in dance theatre productions such as RUMBLE (2009), TRIPTIQUE (2009), LUST (2012), RUHR-ORT (2012), RUHM (2015), and BASMALLA (2018) at Schauspielhaus Bochum and international venues such as Auditorio della Musica, Rome and Teatros del Canal, Madrid. With the cuban choreographer Julio Cesar Iglesias Ungo he performed in THE FAMILY (2013), INVISIBLE WIRES (2014) and THE HIDDEN DOOR (2015), and with Samir Akika and the company Unusual Symptoms in EINER FLOG ÜBER DAS KUCKUCKSNEST (2014) und AKIKA X (2015) at Goethe Theater Bremen. He also created own works such as V.I.E.R. (2013), MIND THE GAP (2018), and I, HOLOBIONT (2019).