Activity Report #6 of “Danstereportation

Interview with Ayaka Habata
(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 the starting point for their own creations.

In this issue, we will report on our interview with Ayaka Wabata.
It was a short but productive dialogue between two people who are both artists and working at the university.
(Text and editing by Taku Yoshida)

standing form of “mountain” character

How did you come to dance, Mr. Habita?

broad field

Since childhood, I attended the studios of Teruo Kurosawa and Eiko Shimoda, where I learned modern dance and participated in many competitions. At the university where I entered to study dance, I was exposed not only to expression with one body, but also to creation as a comprehensive art form and the opportunity to dance with various others. While in graduate school, I spent two years in New York City, where I participated in Kota’s workshop.

standing form of “mountain” character

Yes, it was. Thank you very much.

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Currently, she works as a choreographer and dancer while working at a university as a lecturer.

standing form of “mountain” character

When I create a dance piece, I start with a concept.

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In my case, it starts with what I am thinking about on a regular basis. I read books or dig into things that happen in my life, and when I connect them to my body, the creation process begins. Some people create dances from stories or music, but I think I am the type of person who creates from words.

standing form of “mountain” character

What kind of language do you use in your creations?

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Why did I feel this way? or “Why does such a thing happen? We think about the coincidence and inevitability of a certain event, and create movement based on the words of the physical sensations that arise at that time. However, this does not mean that we simply follow the words. Words are not only used logically, but they are also used for emotional effects.

standing form of “mountain” character

I would like to ask you, as a reference for writing the words I will give you, are there any movies that you have seen recently that have left a lasting impression on you?

broad field

I watched the movies “The Pianist on the Battlefield” and “Merry Christmas on the Battlefield” as part of my research for creating a dance piece. I was impressed by the portrayal of both.

standing form of “mountain” character

Are your college classes online?

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Yes, I am currently teaching online classes (*interview conducted on May 4). The number of students I take ranges from 10 to 200, depending on the class. I teach classes that train physical expression and ideas.

standing form of “mountain” character

Do you have any sense of any changes under the new coronavirus epidemic?

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My life itself has not changed critically because I am able to teach students, travel to and from work, and receive a salary. However, when I could not visit my family outside the prefecture, I felt isolated.
I thought I would feel more closed in, but rather I have more time to talk to acquaintances via video calls and other means. I feel like I am closer to my acquaintances than before, but it is strange that it is not “real distance” that involves physical distance.

standing form of “mountain” character

How about dance?

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I no longer have the opportunity to dance as a performance, so what does dance mean to me? I have been thinking about what dance means to me. I am not dancing for the sake of showing it to others, but to dance itself. Is it possible to dance for oneself? I wonder if dance can be for oneself.

standing form of “mountain” character

For example, I think that not being able to go to a place that you used to take for granted can lead you to imagine that you are not there. I am interested in how such changes affect the creative process.
Finally, let me do some research. Touch your finger to your cheek and tell us what word you imagine from the feel of it.

broad field

The words that immediately came to mind were “rubber,” “avoidable,” and “not allowed.

standing form of “mountain” character

Understood. Thank you very much for sharing your story with us today. I will spell out the words and send them to you.

broad field

Thank you very much.

How was the interview?
What kind of words and reactions to them will emerge from this?
Our next report will be an interview with Aiho Kaneko.
Please continue to enjoy the dialogue between the dancers.

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