Originally called Company Toothpick, Tero Saarinen Company is based in Finland. Artistic director Tero Saarinen founded the company in 1996 as a venue to stage his own choreography, after having first made a name for himself as a soloist with the Finnish National Ballet. In addition to his ballet training, he also studied butoh in Japan and Nepalese dance in Katmandu. One of the most important lessons that Saarinen learned from butoh is a sense of respect for his own history. He quotes his butoh teacher, Kazuo Ohno, as saying, “I am dancing on top of my ancestors.” The Shaker inspiration for this work was explored in a different way by Beth Soll, and Borrowed Light itself was brought back to the Pillow by popular demand for a 2012 return engagement.
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