ART LIVES TORIDE Where Art Is Born

At the moment I am a choreographer while attending graduate school at Tokyo University of the Arts.
What inspired me to become a choreographer was a film studies class I took at a university in Kyoto. That was interesting, and when I was looking for an internship at a place that does video production, they said they could introduce me to a dance internship.To be honest, it was not what I had hoped for, but I thought it was okay. So I went to a small dance company in Jerusalem called Machol Shalem Dance House. There were dancers from all over the world, and it was very interesting. I thought that by moving my body, I could have the same language. I began to think that I wanted to dance.

I have always liked to study languages in the sense that it is a tool to communicate with others. I am still learning German and Hebrew. When you are trying to get along with someone, even if you have different backbones, you can get along if you find something in common. When talking with dancers, I felt that I could get along better with them if I talked while I could also move my body, rather than talking while I could not dance. I feel like I started dancing out of that kind of curiosity.

After returning to Japan, I performed in various stages and studied with choreographers, and in 2017 I created my first piece. In the meantime, I entered a competition called SAI Dance Festival and won a prize. That made me decide to keep trying. I came to Toride this year, hoping to create a piece while studying.

There was a time when I thought about joining a dance company in Europe, but while talking with a choreographer who was teaching me technique at the time, we decided that it would be better for me to become a choreographer rather than a dancer.
I want to keep doing what I think is cool, not just go to the people who are dancing and adapt to the expressions that are available there. At first, no one would know about it, and I might not get paid right away, but I thought it would be better that way.

Recently, I have been amplifying or slightly changing the texture of objects and sounds by inserting my voice and body between them and the objects, sounds, and the audience watching them. I am also trying to add another story.

A while ago, I made a work with a sculptor friend of mine in which we heckle at things. For example, here is a tree, and when I describe the tree as I see it, I heckle it. If it looks very light, you say, “Light! Light! Light!” Light! There are lines all over it! That’s the only part that’s white!” Like that. I’m just describing things, but doing so brings out what I see, and somehow I feel like this thing is empowering. Rather than wanting people to see my own body, I would like to create works in which my own body can be seen through my involvement with objects and sounds, and the objects and sounds that come together become even more prominent.

I am influenced by many people, but especially by Susan Phillips. When I was in Kyoto, I was an attendant for artists at an art festival, thenI met the artist for the first time. By applying sound to architecture and landscapes, she reveals the space and gives it a different meaning. It is very interesting that the implication and layers in the work are instantly conveyed when you see it. When I saw a moment when something I had not paid attention to before became visible or was given a different meaning, I felt the interest of art.

I like to spend time thinking about ideas, as well as physical exercise.I often create imaginary performance pieces in my head. I want to give form to these fantasies and have people see them. Since I live in Toride, Iwould like to create works using objects and places that are familiar to local people. Like I try pole dancing on a sign, or re-editing footage of playing in the Tone River. I would like to make more works with a silly feel that makes people laugh.