Review: Tahto

The glittering queen

Shrug your shoulders. The athlete prepares. The slogan is simple: “I am Aino-Kaisa Saarinen.”

Directed by Sini Pesonen and written by Aina Bergroth, Tahto deals with a skier’s growth into a competitive athlete in the cross-currents of pressure. Success requires will, selfishness and overcoming one’s own head.

Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, played by Sanna-June Hyde, has twinkling eyes until it’s time to compete. Then he is unstoppable. However, there is also another side to the athlete. Before the performance, he is insecure and helpless.

The close circle lives closely in the background: the parents (Leena Rapiola and Risto Kaskilahti) make the athlete fall in love with the competition, the husband (Mikko Virtanen / Tatu Mönttinen) is flexible in family life, and the twin sister (Vappu Nalbantoglu) has been pushing her since childhood.

The pressure is high. The comparison is constantly focused on her rival sister Virpi Kuitunen (Linda Zilliacus). You also have to compete for the attention of a common coach (Rauno Ahonen). Andre Agassi (Santeri Kinnunen) sneaks up to question the athlete’s sacrifices.

Skiing is a nationally significant issue that affects Finnishness. The presence of the media is nicely presented with the help of Tinja Salmi’s video design. The embarrassing memories of the doping smell are also presented in a hearty manner.

The choreography of the performance is snappy and angular. It goes well with show-inspired outfits and the glittery style of the show. For a performance about an athlete, it is strange how sweat, dirt and physicality are hidden. The athlete’s actual work and adrenaline are gone. The focus is on human relationships and the neoliberal absurdity of competition.

At times, the performance manages to raise the excitement and euphoria of the flow state associated with the moment of competition. Aleksi Saura’s soundscape is strong and rumbles well. At the touching moment of victory, the audience also understands what an athlete’s life is about.