Third Practice

Third Practice is a major contemporary dance work created by internationally acclaimed Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen, developed in collaboration with the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra. The piece explores a moment of cultural and existential transition, drawing inspiration from Claudio Monteverdi’s revolutionary madrigals and the historical shift from Renaissance musical thought to the early Baroque period. Saarinen uses this historical reference as a metaphor for today’s rapidly changing world, where humanity is constantly forced to redefine its relationship to nature, history, and itself.

The work brings together live music, dance, and vocal performance in a highly integrated stage language. The musical core is based on Monteverdi’s madrigals, performed live by the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra under the direction of Aapo Häkkinen. The score is enriched by vocal performances from tenor Topi Lehtipuu and soprano Núria Rial, whose presence – both live and digitally mediated—expands the sonic and theatrical dimensions of the piece. The music is not treated as accompaniment but as an equal partner to the choreography, shaping rhythm, emotional tone, and structural flow.

Saarinen’s choreography, performed by an ensemble of dancers from the Tero Saarinen Company, combines elements of contemporary dance with influences from Japanese butoh, creating a physical language that is both sculptural and intensely expressive. Movements often emphasize grounded weight, controlled tension, and organic transformation, reflecting themes of instability, memory, and renewal.

The visual world of Third Practice is shaped by a distinguished creative team. Set and projection design by Thomas Freundlich introduces layered visual environments that merge historical references with abstract imagery. Lighting by Eero Auvinen sculpts the stage into shifting atmospheres of shadow and illumination, while costumes designed by Erika Turunen emphasize both historical resonance and contemporary form. Sound design by Marco Melchior further enhances the immersive quality of the production.

At its core, Third Practice is a meditation on transformation—of music, of society, and of the human body. It asks how new forms of expression emerge in times of crisis, and how art can act as a bridge between past and future.