Dancing reviews

LIQUID SPACE

Performance: Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet
Choreography: Robert Sher-Machherndl
Venue: The Ailey Citigroup Theatre, New York City
Performance Date: Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

New York Times 30. 4 2009
Claudia La Rocco

…Ms. Tervamäki, commanding dancer with the chiseled visage, big dark eyes and severe, mysterious presence of a silent movie star.
Better yet, she is a crisp, intelligent mover, with striking épaulement and terrifically alive arms.

Dance Europe July 2009
Tim Martin

As a pair, they simultaneously match and contrast. She: blond, sleeky muscled, a technically solid grasp of the steps. He: cleanly-shaven head, lanky, taking a natural approach to the steps. Both dance cleanly, but it´s not sterile - there´s a lot going on under the surface. In Tervamäki, you see it in her eyes and in how she holds those extensions.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Careitha Davis

…Minna appears on stage looking as strong as an ox! Her athletic ability as a dancer is obvious as each defined muscle is flexed and coordinated in her movement. She is wearing ballet flats and a two-piece black outfit. The simplicity in her outfit makes the choreography easier to visually understand. She starts her solo showing off such artistic influences as William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin and Glen Tetley. There is an edgy feel to her style of movement that captures Sher- Machherndl’s concept of Liquid Space.
...Both dancers have the extraordinary ability to maintain their different style of movement while finding a medium that creates a bigger subject called Liquid Space. As the piece continues, the music becomes intense and so does Minna. She is able to maintain her technique but also turn in her hips, round in her shoulders and articulate her body in ways that most ballerinas are not capable of doing. Choreography is something that is taught, but I see Minna as an artist when she makes Robert’s movement her own. I see a beautiful woman onstage with a strong presence and a masculine edge
that carries the piece to new heights.

SEAGULL

“The Seagull: the Elite of Contemporary Ballet” Minna Tervamäki was also an excellent choice to play Nina. Her solid professionalism, refreshing spirit and outstanding body language turned the role into a strong performance. --Ritva Elo, Taiteen Maailma 2/06 “Dramatic Love and Art in the Finnish National Ballet’s Fabulous Seagull” Minna Tervamäki, in the character of Nina, proves to be not only a superior dancer but also a full-blooded actress, whose expression ranges effortlessly from a young girl’s innocence to a mature woman schooled in the cruel laws of life.

--Annikki Alku, Uutispäivä Demari, 04/04/2006

ANNA KARENINA

“Strong Emotions in Tolstoy’s Drama”

Minna Tervamäki’s Anna is a carefully studied, well-rounded characterisation, in which the dancer successfully portrays a woman’s bitter development from society’s dazzling darling to an adulteress ostracised by her set. Ratmansky has retained the characters’ unevenness and humanity in his ballet, and none of them is a black-and-white outline. Tervamäki’s Anna is unconditional in her love but when placed in an unfamiliar situation she is an uncertain and anxious young woman who doesn’t know what to do.

Tervamäki’s dance is magnificent, with all movements used entirely to serve expression, as in the case of all first-class dancers.

--Auli Räsänen, Helsingin Sanomat, 18/02/2007

“Anna Karenina’s Difficult Choices”

The main character performances in the ballet are strong. Minna Tervamäki as Anna Karenina brings out the character’s emotional conflict in a harrowing way. The difficulty of Ratmansky’s choreography is not evident in Tervamäki’s fine performance. Tervamäki fabulously combines technical skill with powerful acting, in which lyrical expression shifts easily into despair.

--Kaisa Kurikka, Turun Sanomat, 18/02/2007

“Classic Novel to Dazzling Dance”

Minna Tervamäki makes a magnificent interpretation of the character of Anna. Her expression is deeply harrowing; she puts her soul fully into Anna’s fate and articulates every subtlety of the choreography supremely, without holding back!

--Tarja Sara, Keskisuomalainen, 19/02/2007

GISELLE March 18th, 2000

“...Tervamäki’s interpretation is heart-rending. Her beautiful, fluid technique is self-evident, her charisma and radiance are first class, and her overall performance is of the highest level. Ms. Tervamäki is as natural in the first act as the carefree Giselle of the first act, carried away by the joy of the dance, as she is in the second, fiercely protecting her lover...“

-- Auli Räsänen, Helsingin Sanomat (Finland’s leading daily newspaper), Helsinki

Finnish National Ballet performing Sylvie Guillem’s GISELLE in Paris, January 2001

“A moonlit night...The Queen of the Wilis appears...The great Minna Tervamäki...Everything about this ballerina is perfect.”

--Dominique Frétard, Le Monde, February 9th, 2001

"La chef, Myrtha, en veritable maitresse de ballet, me'ne ce petit monde a la baguette et la superbe Minna Tervamaki sait lui donner un je-ne-sais-quot de madame Claude qui pousse ses filles au plaisir et a l'ivresse."

-- Marie-Christine Vernay, Liberation 15.02.2001

“Minna Tervamäki...a regal Queen of the Wilis.”

-- David Stevens, International Herald Tribune, January 24th, 2001

“Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, was danced by a glorious Minna Tervamäki, not unlike Darcey Bussell in stature. Beautiful in every respect (line, timing, smoothness), and with an effortless jump, Tervamäki also dances the role of Giselle, something I would love to see her do another time. If she is free to guest then I hope somebody at the Royal Ballet or English National Ballet is having a word (sorry Finnish National Ballet!).”

-- Bruce Marriott, Ballet magazine, February 1999

“Their leader, Myrtha, in the manner of the quintessential maitresse deballet, rules her little circle with a rod of iron, and the superb MinnaTervamäki knows how to lend her that certain je-ne-sais-quoi of a MadameClaude, who eggs her girls onward to joy and exaltation.”

-- Marie-Christine Vernay, Liberation 15.02.2001

RAYMONDA

"...One cannot help but praise Tervamäki's stamina, her controlled presence, and her elegance as well as the bright and smiling composure with which she executes her great role."

-- Auli Räsänen, Helsingin Sanomat 12.05.2003

Houston: DANCE SALAD

"There was no clear winner in Sami Saikkonen's sensuous Scene for a Man and a Woman, danced passionately by the handsome Saikkonen and the Finnish National Ballet's Nordic goddess Minna Tervamaki."

SWAN LAKE

Minna Tervamaki's performance speaks of intelligence and leadership.Minna Tervamaki has danced in the "Swan Lake" of Vladimir Bourmeister; hersculpture-like Odette already attracted attention then. Now she executesher double role handsomely, with understanding and experience.She is a true Swan Queen, whose authority in the role is solid.

-- Auli Räsänen; Helsingin Sanomat 17.5.2004

“Minna Tervamäki has found a new eternal fan in me. Her White Swan is ethereal, dignified and calmly despairing (yes, it is possible). Her Black Swan is nothing short of frighteningly wicked and triumphant. The polished, stylish, expressive and sensitive performance bowled me over to such a degree that had the Prince not done so first, I would have stormed the stage and proposed to marry Ms. Tervamäki myself.”

-- Melinda Backlund, Like News, Helsinki, Finland

“...on this occasion, too, Minna Tervamäki and Juha Kirjonen dance withtheir distinctive quality and precision, but with added depth andmaturity. Minna Tervamäki’s cool elegance and academically perfect dancetechnique are featured to best advantage in the double role asOdette/Odile, where she shows both lyrical and dramatic qualities. Infact, this is a role which grows and finds new directions as dancers gainin maturity and experience. In Minna Tervamäki’s present interpretationthe viewer is treated not just to perfect technique, but to expressivedramatic interpretation and characterization.”

-- Jan-Peter Kaiku, Hufvudstadsbladet, 1998

ONEGIN

“During the drama the unworldly but deeply sensitive ‘book worm’ Tatyana develops from youthful innocence, through love and heartbreak, to self-confidence and marriage, and here we have yet another convincing and profound yet refreshing interpretation from Minna Tervamäki. It is, infact, a sterling character portrait. Her intense commitment and heartfelt dedication to the task in hand, avoiding all mannerisms, is enthralling to watch. She is even able to shoulder the deeply moving and tragic finale as the curtain falls without so much as a shade of the pathetic. As ever, her dancing is irreproachably pure, airy and stylishly elegant down to the smallest detail...”

-- Jan-Peter Kaiku, Hufvudstadsbladet, 15.04.2000

PIERROT LUNAIRE

As the multifaceted female figure--girl, mother, whore--of Columbine,Minna Tervamäki finally gets to really let herself go within the framework ofmodern dance, and she does it with true dedication.The master of great ballet roles displays her mastery of modern dancestyle, too...and her enjoyment of it.

-- Annikki Alku, Uutispäivä Demari, 04.04.2003

"Outstanding dancer: Minna Tervamaki in Tetley´s Pierrot Lunaire"

-- Jochen Schidt, Ballet-tanz annual 2003