Dr Leena Rouhiainen (M.A. in Dance Performance, Theatre Academy Helsinki, 1995; M.A. in Somatic Studies and Laban Analysis, University of Surrey, 2006; Doctor of Arts in Dance, Theatre Academy Helsinki, 2003) is a dancer-choreographer and dance scholar, who has worked as a professional contemporary dance artist since 1990.

Dr Rouhiainen and her artistic collaborators have received several national awards for their artistic work in Finland (Nuori Suomi -palkinto, 1996; Vuoden valopilkku, 1995; Kritiikin kannukset, 1993). Her doctoral dissertation was published in 2003, and addresses the issue of being a freelance dance artist through a phenomenological perspective. Her current research interests are in artistic research, somatics, the contemporary dancer and bodily knowledge.

She has published several refereed articles and other texts on these issues. She held a postdoctoral researcher position at the Theatre Academy where she also taught dance and research, as well as being a member of the steering committee to the Department of Research Development between 2005 and 2008. She was the head of the research project Challenging the Notion of Knowledge between 2005 and 2007 at the same institution.

Dr Rouhiainen held the position of Associate Professor of Dance and Physical Education at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo for the spring term 2009. She was the Chair of the Nordic Forum for Research in Dance (NOFOD) between 2008 and 2011, and continues to act as the Vice Chair of the board. At present, she is Academy Research Fellow at the Performing Arts Research Centre of the Theatre Academy in Helsinki.

Contact

Performing Arts Research Centre, Theatre Academy Helsinki.
(Haapaniemenkatu 6)
PO Box 163
FI-00531 Helsinki
Finland
E-mail: leena.rouhiainen@teak.fi