A series of talks with artists who will present their works at ” Performing Arts Selection 2023 “.
In this issue, we present an interview with Iri Pokorni by Eri Karatsu.
Please scroll down for the English version.

 

Eri Karatsu (Karatsu ): Initially, Mr. Iri was scheduled to come to Japan in 2021 to work on a creation with young Japanese dancers. Unfortunately, due to the spread of the new coronavirus, he was unable to come to Japan, and finally in 2022, we were able to invite him as DaBY’s first choreographer from abroad. What was your most memorable creation at this time?

Ili Pokorny (Ili): The most memorable part was being able to work together again with the dancers in one space. It was very special to actually work and create together, not virtually.

Karatsu: Now that you are online in 2021, in 2022, how do you feel about young Japanese dancers when you actually work with them on their creations?

Ili : I had a great connection with the dancers from the very beginning of the creative process. We had already gotten to know each other through online rehearsals, so when we met again in real life, we hit it off right away. They are all very nice, talented, and hard working people.

Karatsu: Iris, you were a dancer in some of the world’s finest companies such as NDT (Netherlands Dance Theater) and Kid Pivot. What did you learn there, and were there any choreographers who influenced you? What are some of your current choreographic influences?

Ili: As a dancer in NDT and Kid Pivot, I have experienced and learned so much; NDT has given me the opportunity to be exposed to a wide range of different “dance styles” and to learn from many wonderful choreographers. The Company taught me to be a versatile dancer.

Kid Pivot allowed me to develop my dance artistry. Working with Crystal Pite was a turning point for me. She became my mentor and the most influential person in my dance life. She taught me to take responsibility for my actions and how to approach movement in a deeper and more thoughtful way. Her work resonates with my work today, and for these reasons and many others, I will always cherish this relationship.

Karatsu:I understand that your work ” Night Shades” was inspired by an experience you had in Yakushima.

Ili: Yes, the first idea and inspiration for this work came from a trip to Yakushima in 2019. I was fascinated by the power of nature on Yakushima. It was a very physically demanding experience as we traveled long distances on foot across the island, sometimes walking 16 hours a day. I remember the feeling of walking alone through the forest at night and reaching the summit at sunrise. It was an unforgettable moment for me and nature, and nothing else.

Karatsu: Why did you choose this theme for your creation with Japanese dancers now?

Iri: It was a coincidence. This was the first creation I did after the pandemic, and I had this theme in mind since I went to Yakushima. I was happy to start exploring this theme in Japan with Japanese dancers!

Karatsu: ” Night Shades” was roughly completed in its form during the fall 2022 creation. I heard that it then developed into ” A Night Walker,” which you created for Ballet BC (Ballet British Columbia) in March2023. How are these two works connected? Will the creation of A Night Walker change the world premiere of Night Shades in September2023?

Ili: Yes, the two pieces are related. I began exploring some ideas and conceptualizing the piece with a group of Japanese dancers, and in the fall of 2022 I created and presented the first draft in my studio at DaBY. Based on this work, we created a new version for Ballet BC in Vancouver and called it A Night Walker. the process at Ballet BC helped us to perfect the work for performance in Japan. This piece received its own title , Night Shades. The two pieces became so-called “sister works.

Karatsu: I heard that your work depicts the relationship between humans and nature, which is becoming more emphasized in the midst of modernization.

ILI: I wanted to portray human vulnerability and present situations in which the body, as an instrument of perception and action, is exposed to unfamiliar environments and how it can or cannot react and adapt to them. I wanted to emphasize the power of nature and how important it is to protect it. Humanity is part of this chain, but unfortunately we are going in the wrong direction. One thing we need to realize is that nature will still be here when people are gone. So it is up to us to decide how long we will stay.

Translation: Marika Futagawa, Yukino Abiko

 

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Eri Karatsu： Originally, you were to come to Japan in 2021 to work with the young Japanese dancers. Unfortunately, you were unable to come to Japan due to the pandemic; finally, last year in 2022, we were able to invite you as DaBY’s first international choreographer. choreographer. What was your most memorable moment in this creative process?

Jiří Pokorný: The most memorable moment was the fact we could work together again with the dancers in one space. It was very special to be physically working and creating together in real life and not virtually.

Eri ： Everything was mainly online in 2021; how did you feel about the young Japanese dancers when you worked with them in real life in 2022 for the creative process? Eri ： Everything was mainly online in 2021; how did you feel about the young Japanese dancers when you worked with them in real life in 2022 for the creative process?

Jiří ： I had a great connection with all the dancers right from the beginning of our process.
We already new each other from our online rehearsals so when we met again in real life we picked up on everything very quickly and got along very well. They are all so lovely, talented and hard working human beings.

Eri ： You were a dancer in some of the world’s finest companies such as NDT and Kidd Pivot. What did you learn there and were there any choreographers who influenced you? What are some of the things you have taken into your choreographic practice?

Jiří : As a dancer with NDT (Nederlands Dans Theater) and Kidd Pivot I experienced and learned a lot. The Netherlands Dans Theater gave me a wide range of opportunities in different “dance styles” where I could learn from so many wonderful choreographers. The company taught me to be a versatile dancer.

With Kidd Pivot I got to develop my artistry in dance. Working with Crystal Pite has been A turning point, she became my mentor and the most influential person in my dance era. She taught me to be responsible for my own actions, showed me how to approach movement in a much deeper sense, more thoughtfully. Her work resonates in my work today and for this and many other reasons I will always treasure our relationship.

Eri ： You said that your work “Night Shades” was inspired by an experience you had in Yakushima. When was this and what kind of experience was that?

Jiří ： Yes, the initial idea or inspiration for the piece came from my trip to Yakushima Island in 2019. I was mesmerised by the intensity of Yakushima’s nature. It was physically very challenging experience because I traveled the island through long distances by foot. Sometimes 16 hours long in one day. I remember that feeling walking through the forest alone in the middle of the night, reaching the top of the mountains with the sunrise. Unforgettable moments of just me, the nature and nothing else.

Eri ： Why did you choose this theme to work on with the Japanese dancers, now?

Jiří : It was just a coincidence. It was my first creation after the pandemic and this theme has been on my mind since my trip to Yakushima so it just worked out this way. I was happy to start exploring the theme with Japanese dancers in Japan!

Eri ： The rough form of “Night Shades” was completed in the fall of 2022. I understand that it then evolved into “A Night Walker,” created for Ballet BC in March 2023. How are these two works connected? Has the creation of “A Night Walker” influenced “Night Shades” for its world premiere in September 2023?

Jiří ： Yes, these two works are related. I started exploring some ideas and developed the concept of the piece with the Japanese dancers. We built and presented the first draft in DaBy Yokohama studio back in the Fall 2022. Based on this form I have developed and built a new version of the piece for Ballet BC in Vancouver, I called it “A Night Walker”. The process in Ballet BC helped me to craft and finalise the work for our shows in Japan.
It found its own title the “Night Shades”. These two works became as we call “a sister pieces”.

Eri ： You draw on the relationship between humans and nature, which is a relationship that is becoming more emphasized amidst modernization. What is the message you want to convey to the audience through this work?

Jiří : I wanted to portray a human vulnerability and present a situation in which our body as an instrument of perception and action can be exposed to an I wanted to portray a human vulnerability and present a situation in which our body as an instrument of perception and action can be exposed to an unfamiliar environment, how the body reacts and can or cannot adapt to it. I wanted to emphasize on the power of nature and how important it is to preserve it. A human race is part of this whole chain but unfortunately taking on a wrong direction. One thing is to realise…. When people are gone, the nature will still be here. So it’s up to us how long we decide to stay.

Translated by Marika Niko and Yukino Abiko

 

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Performing Arts Selection 2023
Performing Arts Selection 2023

Aichi｜Aichi
9/16(Sat) 14:00/18:30 and 17(Sun) 14:00
Aichi Prefectural Art Theater, Mini Theater

Takasaki
9/21(Thu) 18:30
Takasaki City Theatre, Studio Theatre

Takatsuki
9/30(Sat) 17:00
Takatsuki Arts Theatre, Large Studio
Tickets are now sold out. Tickets are now sold out.

Tokyo
10/21(Sat) 14:00/18:00 and 22(Sun) 14:00
Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Theatre East

Details｜Information
https://dancebase.yokohama/main2/event_post/pas2023-tour
Please note that the productions differ depending on the venue.
Please note that the program differs depending on the venue.

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