Activity Report #12: “Danste Reporting

Interview with Akane Kuri
(Interviewer: Kota Yamazaki)

Kota Yamazaki’s new project “Dance Teleportation,” based on the concept of “dialogue,” is underway.
Ms. Yamazaki and 11 performers are literally groping their way through the creative process under the new coronavirus epidemic.

Basically, a choreographer and a dancer create a work by sharing a place and time. Now that this is no longer possible, how can a choreographer establish a relationship with a dancer to create a work? We have named this challenge “Dance Teleportation” in the sense of exploring a way of dancing that transcends place and time.”
(Excerpted from Kota Yamazaki’s “Dance Teleportation” statement)

The creation process begins with Ms. Yamazaki interviewing each performer via video call. Next, Ms. Yamazaki sends the performers words inspired by the interviews. The performers then respond to Ms. Yamazaki by using the words as a starting point for their own creations.

In this issue, we will report on our interview with Ms. Akane Kurihara.
The dialogue was an exchange of curiosity between the two artists regarding the influences they receive from other artists and how they have built their careers as dance artists.
This is the final installment of our interviews with performers.
(Text and editing by Taku Yoshida)

standing form of “mountain” character

I will use this interview as a reference to spell out my words and send them to you, but since the words are taken from a dance perspective, there will be parts that are difficult to understand, and the text will change time and space in a dizzying manner. In order to spell out these words, it is important to understand your view of dance and your hobbies, so I would like to hear a little bit about them today.

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

Yes, please.

standing form of “mountain” character

How have you been dancing, Akane?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

I am from Nagano Prefecture and have been dancing classical ballet since I was a child under the tutelage of Teruyo Kurashima. I first encountered contemporary dance while studying at Japan Women’s College of Physical Education.

standing form of “mountain” character

What activities were you involved in at university?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

I was invited to perform in works by Mizutake Kasai and Kaori Ito in performances organized by the dance production research club I belonged to, and we also created our own works.

standing form of “mountain” character

Are there any choreographers who have influenced you?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

They are Ohad Naharin from Israel and Yukio Suzuki, who has joined our company.

standing form of “mountain” character

Mr. Ohad Naharin is also famous as the inventor of GAGA (*1).

(*1) GAGA…A dance method developed by choreographer Ohad Naharin, who served as artistic director of Israel’s leading dance company, Bat Sheva Dance Company, for approximately 30 years. Participants improvise and move their bodies continuously while accepting verbal instructions and images of movement given by the navigator. In recent years, this method has been attracting attention around the world, and numerous workshops have been held.

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

Yes, I like GAGA too. When I was staying at home in a self-restraint lifestyle, I spent more time looking at social networking sites, and I sometimes overthought and lost confidence. I have recently been trying to meditate in order to keep my mind clear, and I feel that the language used in meditation and the ability to be introspective is similar to GAGA.

standing form of “mountain” character

I have only seen GAGA on film, but when you experience it, does it feel like a journey? Like you are gradually transforming into a different place.

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

Yes, I do. The feeling is that I have to be introspective and look at myself, but at the same time, I also have to keep my eyes open while I am moving, so I look outward and feel the space.

standing form of “mountain” character

What is your impression of Yukio Suzuki’s work?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

Yukio often chooses social themes such as the “atomic bomb” as the subject matter of his works, but I have the impression that he does not make even sad matters seem too sad when he expresses them. For example, there is a scene in the work where the dancers embody the innocence of children at the time of the atomic bombing, with a contrasting scene in the background. By participating in Yukio’s company, I think I am learning about such “goodness without over-expression” and movement.

standing form of “mountain” character

Like me, Yukio, you are also a choreographer with roots in butoh.
At the university where I teach, one student said, “Butoh is all about negative words, like painful or painful. But there should be a more positive and cheerful word for dance. It is true that butoh is associated with negative and dark images. It is true that the word “butoh” has a negative and dark image, but for me, butoh is not so dreary, like “white” or “steam. I feel that in the future I will create works that have movement in their subtle nuances.

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

I see.
What kind of things inspire you to create your works?

standing form of “mountain” character

When I begin to create a piece, I write a rough vision or statement to negotiate with theaters and apply for grants. The concept is often an interchange between Japanese and American culture, perhaps because I am in the United States. We have a lot of dark butoh, shadowy reenactments, tea ceremonies, and song festivals. I start with a series of words from these places, then gather dancers and gradually create a piece. So the time to create a piece itself is short, but if you include the preparation time, it takes about two years to complete one piece.
How do you create your creations, Akane?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

As yet I do not have much experience in creating artwork. I have a desire to express something, but I think I basically see myself as a dancer. I don’t have a set trend in terms of creation at the moment, but I do have images that come to mind, and I would like to try to give shape to them. I am going to experiment with various things in the future.

standing form of “mountain” character

That’s right. I think that as you go through a number of occasions, you will find your direction, and there is no need to rush.
May I ask what attracted you to Ohad Naharin?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

I like the sensitivity with which you create your works, including the music selection. I am surprised and inspired by the playfulness of even serious works.
Are there any choreographers who influenced you when you were about my age, Kota?

standing form of “mountain” character

When I was in my 20s, I had no intention of becoming a choreographer at all; I wanted to work as a dancer. I took ballet lessons during the day and went to butoh practice at night, attended Bunka Fashion College, and did many other things in my 20s, so I was not sure of my career path. after I turned 30, I began to feel that I wanted to leave something alive, so I started to work on creative works.
I think I myself was most influenced by my first teacher, Akira Kasai. What is important is how one can overcome and present one’s influences and go to a different point from where one was influenced. Dance is an accumulation of influences, so even if I am influenced by a certain influence, it seems to take me four, five, ten years or more to be able to digest that influence.

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

Should we still not be too influenced?

standing form of “mountain” character

It is OK to be influenced by many influences, but it is important to know how to digest and transform them in your own mind.

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

I see. I understand now.
What was Kota’s motivation for going to the U.S.?

standing form of “mountain” character

There are many things, but I will tell you about one of them. I was previously invited by a Senegal-based dance company of a choreographer named Jammay Akogie (*2) to create “Fagaala,” a piece about the Rwandan Genocide. After those experiences, I wanted to research black culture, which was one of the reasons I came to the United States. Also, New York is close to Senegal, and the fact that I had toured the U.S. several times myself had something to do with it.

(*2) Germaine Acogny…Choreographer and mother of African dance, founded the dance school “Moudra” with Maurice Béjart in Dakar, Senegal in 1977, and served as its artistic director. In 2004, Jant-Bi co-choreographed “Fagaala” with Kota Yamazaki. In 2004, Jant-Bi co-choreographed “Fagaala” with Kota Yamazaki, which was successfully performed in Europe, Africa, the U.S., Australia, and Japan.

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

How was your visit to New York?

standing form of “mountain” character

The good thing about New York is that there is a community. You feel a sense of identity that you are a part of. I think many New York artists are motivated by their own identity and their assertion to society. In Japan, on the other hand, there seems to be a little more emphasis on image and vision. In any case, I think it is important to create a community in the Japanese dance scene.
Since my story has continued, it is time to return to Akebono’s story.
How do you feel about the new coronavirus that has gone viral and has affected so many?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

There is a rather positive aspect to it. I notice things that I don’t normally feel, and it gives me a chance to face myself. I am able to look objectively at what I should do.
I am trying to figure out what I can do in my own way, as I feel it is the most creative thing I can do while I am stuck at home, but I am having a hard time coming up with anything. In the end, I am hoping that the theater will reopen sometime between October and December, so I am trying to figure out what I can do now, or rather, what I want to be for the second half of this year.

standing form of “mountain” character

I really don’t know what will happen in the future.
I would like to ask you, as research for writing the words you will give us, are there any expressions of other genres that have influenced you?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

I like fashion. I am quite meek, so I often follow trends.

standing form of “mountain” character

What kind of music do you like?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

I like Byoke.

standing form of “mountain” character

If you can answer, that’s fine, but what do you value in life, Akane-san?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

I never lose my curiosity. I always want to be greedy.

standing form of “mountain” character

What do you think is the best part of dance?

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

Is this where you can immediately express what you are thinking with this whole body?

standing form of “mountain” character

Okay, I understand. Well, that’s about it for this interview. Thank you very much for your time today. I will spell out the words and send them to you.

Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)

Thank you very much. We look forward to seeing you soon.

How was the interview?
This concludes Mr. Yamazaki’s interview with the performer. Thank you for reading to the end.
We are pleased to announce the exhibition of this project, “Dance Teleportation” – Choreography Transcending Time and Space, Floating Words and Bodies. The venue will be DaBY Archive Space and other venues, and the exhibition is scheduled from August 7 (Fri.) to September 13 (Sun.), 2020.
More details will be announced in the DaBY WEB site. Please stay tuned!

Back to “Danstereportation” Special Page Top