PETRUSHKA / creation 2001

Choreography Tero Saarinen

The intimacy of James Crabb and Geir Draugsvoll's arrangement of Igor Stravinsky's "Petrushka" for two classical accordions inspired Tero Saarinen to create his own interpretation this classic. The duo ended up playing an essential part in the piece, performing it live on stage with the dancers.

"Hearing their version was simply stunning experience! Crabb and Draugsvoll had used Stravinsky's piano score in their arrangement and, although the end result was wonderfully innovative, at the same time, it was astonishingly faithful to the original. The universality and, conversely, the intimacy of the accordion sound also felt like the right building material for the triangle drama thaht I wanted to create.

the central figure in "Petrushka" is an intriguing character, clearly a relative of many of the loser archtypes that appear in the history of film and literature. I suppose thaht many of us can occasionally identify with the figures of Petrushka, Punch, Pulcinella, Gelsomina, or ever Buster Keaton, who in all their naivety and ingenuousness still come out on top, even when they lose.

My own work concentrates solely on Petrushka, the Ballerina and the Moor. For example, I did not want to make a Fokin-style literal depiction of the market hubbub of the opening scene. I preferred to discover the inner joy and carnival spirit that the doll figures feel when they finally break free of the grip of their manipulator, and hence to participate in human feelings and in - apparent - freedom."

Tero Saarinen

Source : www.terosaarinen.com

Credits

Chorégraphie Tero Saarinen Interprètes Sini Länsivuori, Henrikki Heikkilä, Heikki Vienola Musique Igor Stravinsky arrangée et interprétée par James Crabb, Geir Draugsvoll Lumière Mikki Kunttu Costumes Erika Turunen

Durée 32 min

Réalisation vidéo Charles Picq

Updating : June 2012

Dancer-choreographer Tero Saarinen began his career as a dancer at the Finnish National Ballet in 1985. His solo career took off in 1988, after he won first prize in contemporary section of the “Concours International de Danse de Paris”. Despite his success as a soloist, he left the Finnish National Ballet in 1992 to seek new influences in contemporary dance in Western Europe and Japan, where he studied traditional Japanese dance and Butoh from 1992 to 1993. He has worked with several internationally renowned choreographers and is still considered one of the world's most significant dancers of his generation.

Saarinen has made more than 30 creations during his career. He founded his own group in 1996 as a canvas for his choreographic work. Apart from his work for Tero Saarinen Company and teaching his movement technique, his handiwork can also be seen in the premieres  commissioned by several other prominent dance groups.

As a choreographer Saarinen is known for his unique movement language that plays with balance, and off-balance. Influences ranging from Butoh and martial arts to classical ballet and Western contemporay dance can be seen in his style. His works, which have won wide international acclaim, are characteristically total artworks : combinations of unique choreography, strong performers, striking visu    als, and often, live music.

Source : Tero Saarinen Company 's website

More information

terosaarinen.com