Tero Saarinen, Artistic Director and Dancer-choreographer, Tero Saarinen Company

On the occasion of the October 2017 National Arts Centre return of the Finnish contemporary dance troupe Tero Saarinen Company, Cathy Levy has a fascinating conversation with artistic director, dancer and choreographer Tero Saarinen. Tero came late to dance but quickly went from dance school to joining the ranks of the Finnish National Ballet, to studying Nepalese dance as well as traditional Japanese dance, butoh and martial arts, to creating on himself. An early duet caught the attention of Ohad Naharin who invited him to choreograph for Batsheva Dance Company. Over 40 works for his Helsinki-based troupe and commissions for world-renowned companies such as Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT1), Lyon Opéra Ballet, Gothenburg Opera Ballet and the National Dance Company of Korea, followed. Tero describes his company motto Aware, Alert and Attentive, the Tero technique, and how music is an endless source of inspiration. He then touches on his upcoming projects, one with Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen and the other with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, both premiering in early 2018.