Ritz logo
Search

A Fistful of Funk is a performance that fuses street dance, absurd theatre, and live music. Through play, humor, and virtuosic dance, it explores male friendship and themes of masculinity.

The piece follows a few lonely cowboys on an epic journey across the desert. There, 1970s funk dance meets the text by playwright Juho Keränen, inspired by Sergio Leone’s westerns and their portrayals of toxic machismo and hypermasculinity.

Locking is a street dance style that emerged in the 1970s among African American communities on the U.S. West Coast. It is characterized by sharp stops, groovy footwork, and acrobatic moves. In A Fistful of Funk, the performers dive into one of locking’s core elements — character, meaning the dancer’s distinctive quality and presence. Through play and characterization, the performance explores alternative masculine expressions while showcasing each dancer’s unique style and personality.

Netticket.fi & Studio Ticket: 29€
Students, seniors & Ritz members: 23€

Doors open 18.15. Duration appr. 75 minutes.

Balcony K-18

Will Funk For Food was founded in 2008 and is one of Finland’s most internationally successful street dance groups, specializing in the locking style. The group promotes the dance form in Finland and works to establish street dance as a recognized part of Finnish cultural life — while spreading joy and energy to audiences of all ages. Among the group’s major achievements are three consecutive Finnish Championship gold medals, as well as performances in Japan, France, and Sweden.

The performance A Fistful of Funk is produced in collaboration with Skafferiet rf and the Regional Dance Centre of Ostrobothnia as part of the annual Ostrobothnia Dances festival, which takes place on 18–21 March 2026. The rest of the festival programme can be found here:
https://www.pohjanmaantanssi.fi/se/pohjanmaa-tanssii/2026

On stage: Akim Bakhtaoui, Wilhelm Blomberg, Jeffrey Kam, and Sebastian Kurtén
Choreography: Will Funk For Food
Performers: Akim Bakhtaoui, Wilhelm Blomberg, Jeffrey Kam
Sound design and music: Sebastian Kurtén
Dramaturgy, text, voice-over, and direction for spoken scenes: Juho Keränen
Costume design: Antrea Kantakoski
Lighting design: Jaakko Sirainen
Set design: Oscar Dempsey
Production: Zodiak – Center for New Dance, Wilhelm Blomberg, Akim Bakhtaoui, Nordic Soul ry
Photographer: Jussi Ulkuniemi

Will Funk for Food: A Fistful of Funk

Date & Time:

Fri 20.3 19:00 - 20:15

Cost:

23€ – 29€

BUY TICKET

Organizers

Skafferiet r.f.

Regional dance centre

Share this event:

GENERAL INFORMATION

Vaasa local buses, Lifti, drive several lines past Ritz. You can find your way to us with their  route planner. 

Ritz is only 700 meters walking from Vaasa travel centre (trains and long distance buses).

Roadside parking is free after 18:00. The easiest way to find parking is in the main square underground parking Toriparkki, 400 meters walking distance from Ritz.

For far away guests there is a wide selection of hotels in Vaasa! GreenStar Hotel Vaasa offers our customers a 10% discount on the cheapest dayrate with the code: RITZ.

The doors to Ritz open about an hour before the event (Kino nights circa 20 minutes before the first movie).

If there are tickets left, they are sold at the ticket sales desk in the stairs. Card or cash accepted. Smartum, Tyky or Edenred coupons or cards are not accepted at Ritz, but they can be used to buy tickets at Netticket.fi (not Kino movie tickets) or Studioticket.

Apart from small cafe events we have wardrobe service and charge 2€ per jacket. Bags larger than an A4 sized paper are also to be left in the wardrobe.

Accepted payment for wardrobe service are card, Mobilepay or cash.

We work continuously to make Ritz more accessible. There is a stair lift from the ground floor, where the toilet is available, to the café and auditorium on the second floor, and there is a induction loop for hearing aids in part of the auditorium. Even so it is a good idea to read up on accessibility before your visit.

Read more about accessibility, and get acquainted with the premises via the virtual tour:

More on our accessibility

Seat map and virtual tour

Our stylish bar is also open before and after the event. It is

Our stylish bar is also open before and after the event. It is possible to pre-order drinks in the café for events with an intermission. At sold out events, the balcony bar is open during the performance. There are a few seats at the balcony bar. Drinks can not be taken to your own seating, if the event is not age restricted (K18).

Cafe range of products

If you have any questions regarding the ticket, contact the ticket seller. If you have any questions about the venue or the cafe service, please contact us. The event organizer (listed on the event page) is responsible for the event.