Venla Keskinen, also known as Miila Kaarina, is a dancer, creator and educator with a background in architecture from Aalto University, Helsinki. A self-taught dancer, she found her movement foundation and community through voguing in 2014 and has since made her mark as a New Way voguer within the European ballroom scene. Formerly a member of the Legendary House of Prodigy and the Kiki House of Angels, Miila is renowned for the precision, style, grace, and elegance she brings to the floor.
From 2017 to 2019, she performed in Q4: Quantified by Sarita Sarada Keilman, Europe’s first-ever newway vogue piece, and in 2019, she performed in Bitch Please by Ida “Inxi” Holmlund in Sweden. Since then, she has performed and worked with a wide range of people and places, including Yamuna Forzani, Motel Mozaique, Feeling Curious Festival, Fabricant, ARK Amsterdam, DI-RECT, and more.
As a community-driven creator, Miila co-founded PLAYGROUND with James Parnell in 2019, which has become an essential practice space for the ballroom community. In 2023, she launched Under My Umbrella, an initiative that provides a platform for ballroom artists to share their stories and grow as makers. Miila teaches newway and has combined her design and movement background as a guest teacher at TU Delft, Codarts Rotterdam, and Willem de Kooning Academy.
From December 5–8 and 12–15, Miila will present her new work alongside other emerging makers to the public during One Night’s Dance.