Space & Ennui: Japanese contemporary dance showcase

Led by Teita Iwabuchi & KENTARO!!
July 22 & 29, 2017

Event Details

The Japan Foundation, Sydney presents SPACE & ENNUI, an intimate showcase series of Japanese contemporary dance. Get up close and personal with two unique talents from Japan’s performing arts scene, Teita Iwabuchi and KENTARO!!. Co-presented with Critical Path, join us at The Drill Hall in Rushcutters Bay on July 22 and at Dancekool Studio on July 29 for an evening of performance and conversation.

JULY 22: TEITA IWABUCHI AT CRITICAL PATH

Teita Iwabuchi did not start dancing until university, where he studied theatre and Japanese traditional dance (nihon buyo 日本舞踊). Iwabuchi’s strength as a dancer and choreographer is in his unique way of incorporating his training in nihon buyo, Japanese martial arts and butoh. He has trained with the Kazuo Ohno Studio and Dairakudakan, as well as danced for productions by Mikuni Yanaihara of Nibroll, Kim Itoh + The Glorious Future Company, and Un Yamada.

Join us at Critical Path where Iwabuchi will present a stripped-back 30-minute performance followed by a Q&A, and learn about his unique choreographic and dance practice focusing on the interaction of space, music, and the human body.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IWABUCHI’S DANCE PRACTICE, CHECK OUT THIS IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW AT PERFORMINGARTS.JP

Teita Iwabuchi and Kaori Seki performing Hetero at Yokohama Dance Collection EX 2012

JULY 29: KENTARO!! AT DANCEKOOL STUDIO

KENTARO!! started his dance career in junior high school, growing up learning street dance during a time when hip-hop was still relatively unknown in Japan. However, it was after discovering contemporary dance that he decided to choreograph dance theatre pieces which incorporate dramatic elements. KENTARO!! and his dance company, Tokyo Electrock Stairs, are now well-known for their unique datsuryoku-kei (脱力系; ennui-style) works where slice of life meets hip-hop and contemporary dance.

Join us at DanceKool Studio where KENTARO!! will present a stripped-back 30-minute performance followed by a Q&A with choreographer Nick Power. Learn more about KENTARO!!’s dance practice and delve into the unique world of dance and music he creates with Tokyo Electrock Stairs.

To learn more about KENTARO!!’s dance practice, check out this in-depth interview at PerformingArts.jp

Music video for A Small Time Trip, choreographed by KENTARO!! and performed by KENTARO!! and Tokyo Electrock Stairs

Image Gallery

Artist Profiles

ABOUT KENTARO!! (Tokyo Electrock Stairs)

Working with hip-hop techniques and his original music compositions, KENTARO!! has been lauded for his unique datsuryoku-kei (脱力系; ennui style) dance works. His creations transcend conventional styles of dance and use elements of storytelling to talk about happiness, heartbreak and everything in between. KENTARO!! won the French Embassy Prize for Young Choreographers at Yokohama Dance Collection 2008 and formed dance company Tokyo Electrock Stairs in the same year. He continues to regularly choreograph and perform solo and group works with Tokyo Electrock Stairs, as well as teach workshops in Japan and overseas.

kentarock.com / tokyoelectrockstairs.com / @tokyoelectrockstairs

ABOUT TEITA IWABUCHI

Iwabuchi has been presenting choreography that focus on “structure of the human body” and“interaction of space, music, and human body” since 2005. He constantly presents experimental works which depict the relationship between body and music, collaborating with musicians such as Yoshio Otani and Shuta Hasunuma since 2001. Iwabuchi also actively collaborates with animators and visual artists, as well as create site-specific performances that utilise outdoor space. Iwabuchi’s joint collaboration choreographed with Kaori Seki, Hetero, won The French Embassy Prize for Young Choreographer for Yokohama Dance collection EX 2012. He is currently a resident artist at Steep Slope Studio (Yokohama) and an associate artist at Atelier Gekken (Kyoto). Photo by Hironobu Hosokawa