Dance artist Tiia Kasurinen’s new work Birds of Paradise was inspired by an observation that men crave attention and approval in much the same way as flamboyant birds of paradise. According to HS, that idea became the starting point for the piece.

The performance uses dance to examine the desire to be noticed and accepted, and how that need can shape behaviour. Its title points to the striking courtship display of birds of paradise, while the work itself focuses on human relationships and expectations around masculinity.

Birds of Paradise turns a simple observation into a stage work that invites reflection on how approval is sought and performed. HS says the piece opens a conversation about what is expected of men and how those expectations appear on stage.