 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
| |
Dance Unit Selenographica is pursuing dance that reflects the real impact of life in today's world, and its dance is rooted in a search of movement regarding the textures of the body. The duo's works are characterized by the bewildering speed, picturesque tranquility and comical warmth.
The excitement of contemporary dance is conveyed through holding workshops, which is a vital tool for the duo to reach out people. Selenographica is capable of teaching various types of workshops, from long-term workshops to short lessons. The company is also putting energy into body research from various ambles and starting a contemporary dance research center in Kyoto with martial artists, musicians, photographers and other artists. Those classes are opened to anybody, regardless of their age or the experience. However, separate group may be made according to their experience. The class consists various types and length of the workshop. The typical workshop held by this unit is Name-dance workshop, and dining table dance workshop.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
| |
 Maho Sumiji |
[choreographer, dancer] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Maho Sumiji studied Japanese ancient literature both at the university and at the graduate school.
After working as an editor of a cyclopedia, she changed her path and started dance professionally. Sumiji acquired many experiences regardless from the nation and finally formed the Dance Unit Selenographica with Shuichi Abiru in 1997. Sumiji is currently the director of the company.
Along with the construction and deconstruction of her style, she is now mostly creating duet works as a basic idea of the company and for the recent years she has been creating solo, group works as well.
Sumiji has received the prize, "the next generation award" at the TOYOTA CHOREOGRAPHY AWARD 2005.
|
|
|
 |
Shuichi Abiru majored in dance and theater at Kinki University. Since graduating from the university, he has been building his career as a dancer. He has participated in Reencounters Choregraphiques Internationals de Sein-Saint ?Denis, which is now known as Bagnolet International Choreography Competition Japan Platform. In 1996 Abiru was elected as for the best newcomer by Osaka Theater Arts Association. In 1997 he formed the Dance Unit Selenographica with Maho SUMIJI. |
 |
|
|
|
| |
 Twin Fish |
 |
| Premiere : 2001 |
| Time : 25 min. |
| Place : |
TORII HALL(Osaka), STspot(Kanagawa),Matsuyama Cameleer Hall (Ehime), Lpark Sendai Studio Hall(Miyagi), Art theater dB(Osaka) |
|
This piece is all about †g changing turns in the exact moment†h that could be said like a DANCE KYOGEN. It opens with the two dancers sitting up straight next to each other, and this continues throughout the piece.
The two will make fun of each other, chit chat and hit each other. The couple creates comical movements, and expresses the warmth of human beings. It's like a 25minutes of fine bright travel.
The company has showcased Twin Fish at "ODORINIIKUZE!"(2002) the well known dance festival in Japan, and amused the audience nation wide. This is one of the representative works of the Unit. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Ishtar |
| Premiere : 2002 |
| Time : 23 min. |
| Place : ALTI (Kyoto) |
Selenographica uses the technique called partnering for this piece, which is a distinctive method employed by the unit.
The two dancers run against and catch the partner, in earnest. The balance between the hardness of the music by Steve REICH and the unique technique of the company was called " the fellow travelers to somewhere unknown". |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| FASNACHT |
 |
| Premiere : 2003 |
| Time : 38 min. |
| Place : |
Robby in BIWAKO HALL(Shiga), Atelier GEKKEN(Kyoto)
Art theater dB(Osaka) |
|
UThey use the music recorded at the Reborn festival at Versel city in Switzerland and wear the costumes of the drolleries that looks like a children. Stories of death and birth are told by the their body.
FASNACHT became the turning point for the company's carrier.
There partnering -which was a method to search harshness, made a shift of the taste in this work and it was said that there is fear ness and cuteness at the same time within the movements collected by SUMIJI. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| The Egg of Columbus |
 |
| Premiere : 2004 |
| Time : 25min. |
| Place : ALTI (Kyoto), Art theater dB(Osaka) |
"The Egg of Columbus" is a collaboration work with the jazz funk unit "GOZOROPPU" (Guitar: Kenichirou SAKAMA, Piano: Mizuho MASUDA). While the piece maintains feelings of the live session by employing improvisation, at the same time, its details are carefully constructed. The Dance opens with mysterious mood, becomes funky, and end with gravitational mood. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| What Follows the Act |
 |
| Premiere : 2004-2005 |
| Time : total 153min. (short 30 min.) |
| Place : |
nfGarden(Kyoto), Kobe Art Village Center (Hyogo) , Setagaya Public Theater (Tokyo) |
|
Selenographica created the work †gWhat Follows the Act†h as a collaboration with a musician and a lighting designer.
They first performed it in Machiya, a traditional town house in Japan that used to be a fabric factory. Machiya, built in the 1920s, is located in Nishijin area where is known as a producing district of Kimono fabrics in Japan.
This piece is a duo work.
The dancers dance using a table and chairs. They gathered the piece of the movements by first improvisation, and then made a composition.
In this piece, a man and a woman are dancing like passing their time at their house or like a working room.They use some images based on Japanese old legends. Within one story, an old man and a woman was living in a marginal area and working on their jobs day by day for a long time.
They exchange the movements at the table and chairs, then they variated all. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| The Shelf in the deep end -file.1- |
 |
| Premiere : 2005 |
| Time:53min. |
| Place : nfGARDEN (Kyoto) |
"The Shelf in the deep end -file.1-" is the first solo work of Maho Sumiji. The piece is a product of collaboration between Sumiji and the actor, Daigaku FUTAKUCHI who does reading. Futakuchi reads LITTTLE LITTLE KING by Hakke Acsel. Although the book is a fantasy for grown-ups, the artists add different meanings into the original world of the book.
This series will continue with different artists in other genres. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| extra performance |
 |
| Premiere: 2002 - |
| Time: 10-15min. |
| Place : various places |
Selenographica plays some special performances outdoors. SUMIJI disguises herself as a bear, and ABIRU as a monkey. These are short pieces, and like a SUMO wrestling. Also these works are especially characteristic of the public entertainment that have been held for long time. |
|
|
|
|
|
Up
Coming Performance
" What
Follows the Act"
wonTOYOTA CHOREOGRAPHY AWARD 2005
creation in 2004
Artistic Direction:Maho Sumiji,Genta Iwamura
Chorography : Maho Sumiji
Dance : Maho Sumiji, Shuichi Abiru
Music : Koichi Sakota
Lighting / Design : Genta Iwamura
Costumes : Akiko Takahashi
Music Direction : Koichi Sakota
Supported by :Japan Foundation, TOYOTA
at
LYON
Biennale de la dense de Lyon www.biennale-de-lyon.org
:Theatre du point du Jour
September 19th 20:30 / 20th 18:30/ 21st 20:30
at
PARIS
Maison de la culture du Japon a Paris J-Dance06 www.jpf.go.jp/mcjp
: Maison de la culture du Japon a Paris
September 29th /30th 20:00
at
LONDON
Dance Umbrella Festival www.danceumbrella.co.uk
: Robin Howard Dance Theatre
October 23rd/24th 19:00
|
|
| photo : Kawakami Imasu
/ special thanks : Y.Tsukahara S.Sugawa |
| |
|
|
| design : FLAT-FIELD / image
photo :Ai Hirano at gosyo & Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto |
Copyright (C) 2006 selenographica.net All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|
|
