A Wonderful Dance Art Celebration! The gala celebrates the life work and heritage of the pioneer of Finnish jazz dance, Tamara Rasmussen. She founded Jazz-Point and The Tamara Rasmussen Institute that turn together 100 years.

"Tamara Rasmussen – dance art celebrates 100!”-gala brings together an impressive group of dance artists as well as modern dance history and the future of dance, in one unique night. On stage, we will see current and former students of the institute and renowned visiting dance artists. The program consists of award-winning and loved dance works of The Tamara Rasmussen Institute and excerpts of acclaimed dance works by choreographers who engaged with the Institute along the years, e.g. Tommi Kitti, Jyrki Karttunen and Samuli Emery.

Tamara Rasmussen (1927–1992) started her career as a professional dance artist as a ballerina at The Royal Danish Opera. In 1953 she founded a ballet school in Käpylä in Helsinki. In the beginning of the 1960s, Tamara got interested in jazz dance. After versatile studies in the field she founded The Jazz Dance School Tamara Rasmussen, today known as The Tamara Rasmussen Institute. In 1980, the performing group at the Institute evolved into Jazz-Point, a group that works both in performing dance art and art education. From 1992 onwards, Tamara’s daughter, the dance artist and choreographer Vivianne Budsko-Lommi has been the artistic leader of Jazz-Point and the principal of The Tamara Rasmussen Institute. Under her lead, the Institute has formed into one of the most significant training units in the field of contemporary dance in Finland. In 2023, Vivianne Budsko-Lommi received a lifetime achievement award in dance art. Vivianne’s four daughters – performing artists Natasha, Misa, Aksinja and Oksana Lommi – continue cultivating Tamara’s dance art legacy and they are all in an essential role in this celebration evening.