Tero Saarinen, Finland’s best-known dancer-choreographer on the international scene, didn’t start dancing until he was 16. Over the next years, he forged a spectacular path for himself at the Finnish National Ballet, studied with the Butoh legend Kazuo Ohno in Japan, and became a captivating soloist for the France-based choreographer Carolyn Carlson in Paris.

The globally renowned Tero Saarinen Company has performed in over 40 countries, at prestigious venues like the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Royal Festival Hall, Joyce Theater and Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ensemble Intercontemporain and the Nederlands Dans Theater are among the many partners to have collaborated with them. All of these productions have been praised for their distinctive movement and choreographic vision, striking visual design and devoted attention to music.

Dance journalist Hannele Jyrkkä spent a year following Saarinen in rehearsal halls and at home, as he brought his new choreography Third Practice to life. The Hunter: Tero Saarinen –The Icon of Contemporary Dance is the result of this effort: the first book that tells the story of a sports enthusiast who grew up in exceptional circumstances and catapulted to international fame and iconic status in the world of contemporary dance.