KITE (“BIRD” Theatre Festival TOTTORI 5, 2012)
Photo: Shinji Nakashima
Ash is falling (premiere in Finland, 2012)
Photo: Uupi Tirronen
KITE
HAIGAFURU — Ash is falling
Kanagawa Arts Theatre, Large Studio
2.16 Sun 15:30
Dance artists from Finland and Japan developed their creativity through working with dancers from each country and exchanged residence creations.
A co-production by an innovative dance organization ZODIAK in Helsinki and JCDN.
KITE
When I look at the kite in the air
I see
lightness, joy, playfullness
stillness and waiting
unexpected moments
courage
speed and freedom
life itself
and it changes me
Ash is falling
The choreography is based on the Japanese poem Haigafuru (Ash is Falling) written by Tatsuji Miyoshi after the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This cynical outpouring from the pen of an otherwise lyrical poet is astonishingly topical in the wake of the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster. Questions and fears related to nuclear power are not just part of history – they are still frighteningly relevant today.
KITE
Choreographer: Ervi Sirén
Performers: Masaru Kakio, Takao Kawaguchi, Koji Tamamura, Yumi Tateishi
Lighting Designer: Takayuki Fujimoto
Sound Designer: Aake Otsala
Voice: Mion Wuosha
Costume:Emi Saito
HAIGAFURU — Ash is falling
Choreography: Kosei Sakamoto
Dance, song, voices: Meeri Altmets, Terhi Vaimala, Jarkko Lehmus, Ville Oinonen
Lighting design: Takayuki Fujimoto
Sound design: Toru Yamanaka
Music: Toru Yamanaka, Alva Note, Fennesz, Tuu tuu tupakkarulla (Finnish folklore)
Texts: Tatsuji Miyoshi, Noriko Ibaraki
Translations: Kosei Sakamoto, Miika Osamitsu, Jarkko Lehmus & HAIGAFURU team
Costume assistance: Sanna Bollström
Co-production Partners: HIAP – Helsinki International Artists-in-Residence Programme, Full Moon Dance Festival
Organized by: Japan Contemporary Dance Network (JCDN), Zodiak – Center for New Dance, Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama 2014 Executive Committee
Photo: JohannaTirronen
Ervi Sirén
Throughout her career spanning over three decades, Finnish dance artist Ervi Sirén has studied and developed her unique concept of movement. Her sensitive, subtle and profound understanding of the dancing body has impacted the dance training of Finland during her years as teacher at the Theatre Academy (1980-89) and as a professor of the Dance Department (1998-2007). Ervi Sirén’s working method is movement-based. She has an incredible gift of seeing the inner potential of each dancer individually, and the ability to bring out the uniqueness — the pearl — within. Her method includes practices that open up and reveal new skills and new movement qualities in dancers.
Photo: Takuya Minami
Kosei Sakamoto (b.1967) is the director of the acclaimed Kyoto-based dance company Monochrome Circus from Japan. In University, Sakamoto studied aesthetics and anthropology, and afterwards started to increase his experiences in the theater world. He has also created many site-specific dance works based on particular community or area. Sakamoto is program director for “International Dance Workshop Festival in Kyoto.” He is also Director for “Contact Improvization Meeting in Japan.”
