Activity Report #8 of “Danstereportation

Interview with Mai Kubota
(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 videoconference. 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 creations.

In this issue, we present an interview with Mai Kubota.
An intense dialogue ensued on the view of the body and the creation of artworks.
(Text and editing by Taku Yoshida)

standing form of “mountain” character

How did you come to dance, Mr. Kubota?

rice field in a low place

I have been doing classical ballet all my life. I took some time off during busy times in college, but eventually was able to continue until graduation. I also taught lessons as a teacher.

standing form of “mountain” character

How did you become interested in contemporary dance?

rice field in a low place

When I was in the fourth grade, I took a ballet seminar and there was a contemporary dance class, and Kimiho Hulbert was teaching the class and it was something like “Imagine and Move,” which I really enjoyed. I am petite, so I had a complex about my body shape in the classical ballet world, but that is dispelled in contemporary dance. I think I got into it partly because I could express myself through my movements. Even when I was in high school, I took contemporary dance workshops whenever I had the chance.
In college, I joined the modern dance club, and my teacher at the time was a dedicated person who influenced me in a way that changed my view of dance 180 degrees. If I had not met that teacher, I might not have continued dancing. I think I fell in love with dance even more at the university.

standing form of “mountain” character

What do you think are the reasons for continuing to dance?

rice field in a low place

I like to think all the time to create something. If I try to force myself to create a trigger, it becomes painful, but I have the feeling that I want to record with my body what came to mind at that time, so I inevitably want to create again.

standing form of “mountain” character

I often start creating a work after setting a concept.

rice field in a low place

I really like the realistic body, so I first put an image into my own body and dance for a long time in an improvisational way. While I feel the attraction of moving in unison with a predetermined count, I am also moved when I see improvised movement that is connected to emotion. The theme of the piece as a whole may often emerge from the movements and textures that I find good.

standing form of “mountain” character

I too had improvisation-centered training from Akira Kasai, who was my first dance teacher. You never have the same experience with improvisation, and I always felt like I was on a journey for an hour or two, and wondered why it was so much fun. I felt that I was having a lot of fun.
When you improvise, are your images in the direction of movement? Or do you collect images from multiple bodies?

rice field in a low place

I think it is like collecting multiple body images influenced by the environment and emotions of the moment. The entrance may often start with a sense of the quality of the body.

standing form of “mountain” character

How many works, including small ones, have you created so far?

rice field in a low place

If I include the works I created when I was a student, I don’t think I can reach 50 works.

standing form of “mountain” character

Isn’t that too much! (laughs) Then you must have done a lot of things, including experimental things.
How did you tackle the award-winning work in Sapporo this past February?

rice field in a low place

（In the work for which I received the Yukio Suzuki Award (for the Hokkaido Dance Project performance “New Challenge: NEXT ONE 2020”), I thought about the “concept of dance for me” as I worked on it. In the end, I believe that anything that expresses my own image is dance, but during the creation process, I challenged myself to see how far I could go without moving, and to cut down on the number of steps. In the end, we took “walking” apart and thought about how we could make it into an expression. For the first time, I had the help of a dramaturg (*1), who had a completely different point of view from mine, and he was very helpful. Everything was new and stimulating, including sound, movement, and costumes. He choreographed and planned the piece but did not work as a dancer. He gave his opinions without being bound by stereotypes of dance, and it was very interesting to feel the limiter of dance expression being removed.

(*1) Dramaturg… (German Dramaturg) One of the professions in the performing arts. A dramaturg assists the director (director, artistic director, etc.) who has the authority to make decisions. In the creation process, the dramaturg provides support to the director by giving advice and collecting materials, etc. In theaters and festivals, the dramaturg is responsible for setting policies, cooperation with the community, and artistic education.
[Reference] Sachio Ichimura, ” Vol. 5 Beyond Art Management: Transformation into Dramaturgy (published on Net TAM) ” (2013). (viewed June 15, 2020)

standing form of “mountain” character

I believe that when I dance, there are rhythms that take the body to an extraordinary dimension, such as moving very slowly. What kind of rhythm comes to mind for you, Mr. Kubota?

rice field in a low place

I guess you could say that I try to remove the frame of time. I was thinking of moving slowly and taking the time to be present in the moment. Just when I was thinking about this, I wanted to touch the essence of butoh.

standing form of “mountain” character

I teach butoh at a university, and in my classes I try to combine it with fashion and architecture. I think one of the advantages of butoh is that it can be connected to various genres.
By the way, how are dancers of your generation working, Mr. Kubota?

rice field in a low place

There are dancers my age who have joined national and international dance companies, and those who want to work more and more on their own as choreographers enter competitions and perform independently after getting their work known.

standing form of “mountain” character

I see. I hope you will do your best to make the most of the time you have because you can do a lot of things at your age now.
Can you tell us what you are thinking about now with the Corona Disaster?

rice field in a low place

I think the values will change. There are now more and more lessons and deliveries online, and if the theater reopens, I don’t think we need to lose those things. I think it is important for online activities to take root in new ways, and I would like to explore the possibilities of online and new ways to document stage productions on video while maintaining a sense of realism.

standing form of “mountain” character

I think you are right. I see the possibility of imagining how different we are from each other as we talk through the screen.
In writing the words for this project, I would like to get some words from you, Mr. Kubota. I would like to experiment as a means of doing so. Could you please hold up the back of your hand to the camera on your computer?

rice field in a low place

Like this? (and holds up the back of his hand)

standing form of “mountain” character

When you do this, you see the palm of your hand from your side and the back of your hand on the computer screen, right? Please look at both of them and change the shape of your hand slightly. And then, could you take inspiration from that and hand down the words?

rice field in a low place

(while changing his hand) “In the blue light, the hands of a clock. Water falling into a plastic bag. A cat’s claws. Human footprints. A rice field path. Two old couples are walking. Three yellow lines. Into the ground.

standing form of “mountain” character

That’s good! I think I’ll just use the words as they are now (laughs).
I enjoyed talking with you today. Thank you very much. I will spell out the words and send them to you.

rice field in a low place

Thank you very much.

How was the interview?
The next report will be an interview with Kota Nagaya.
Please continue to enjoy the dialogue between the dancers.

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