The work entered TSC repertoire in 2016. The Company’s own strong contingent of soloists were joined on stage by Japanese Butoh dancer Mitsutake Kasai, and promising young talents from the Finnish National Ballet School and Youth Company, and the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki.
MESH
Tero Saarinen’s movement language, with its influences from Asian dance traditions, collides with traditional Finnish music in MESH. The creation, originally premiered by 20 Japanese dancers in 2014, explores themes such as communality and outsiderness. An intense interpretation by the Screaming Men’s Choir (Mieskuoro Huutajat) meets Saarinen’s vision of humanity and of our time, in which militant, nationalistic forces are raising their voices.
Duration
30 minutes
Premiere
2 February 2014, Saitama Arts Theater, Tokyo, Japan
About the Helsinki performances
Reviews
“(The music) raised the intensity to poundingly ferocious levels. --- It embodied all that is Saarinen is capable of at his best: a vision that is challenging in its movements, plumbing the depths and the heights, and lit by the moment of now in dance.”
“harmonius triumph of art through collaboration”
“Suggestiveness and energy attain great range in MESH --- (The dancers) have the formal skills, but that does not stop their personalities coming through.”
“MESH is an audio-visual work that touches on all levels --- Tero Saarinen’s ability to visualise the different nuances of communality with dance is particularly astonishing.”
Critic’s choice: ”Choreographer of the year” (Based on performances of works MESH, VORTEX and Borrowed Light in 2013/2014)
Creative team
Choreography Tero Saarinen
Music collage (Martti Pokela, Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, Pekka Jalkanen, Petri Sirviö/trad.)
Lighting and set design Iwashina Takeaki
Costume design Izumi Miyamura
Choreographer’s Assistants Satu Halttunen, Henrikki Heikkilä
Dance Satu Halttunen, Auri Ahola, Mitsutake Kasai, Natasha Lommi, Pekka Louhio. Oskari Nyyssölä, David Scarantino, Eero Vesterinen
Production
Saitama Dance Association and Saitama Theater
Menu