2022/03/20

“The Rite of Spring / Traces Garden”

Noism Company Niigata is the only company in Japan that is a resident company of a public theater. The artistic director KANAMORI Jo, has worked with prominent international dance companies like Nederlands Dans Theater. His choreography is based not only on the flexible use of ballet, but his own original method.
In The Rite of Spring, a man and a woman are wearing white hospital gowns. Since the premiere was in 2021, the audience is reminded of the Covid pandemic. The Rite of Spring is a story of humans prostrating to nature that is beyond comprehension, and select the weaker ones as sacrifice. But KANAMORI takes it even further to depict people confronting the pandemic together.
Traces Garden is a collaboration of In an Autumn Garden, a modern Gagaku classic composed by TAKEMITSU Toru, and Reigakusha, who perform the piece. The piece begins with three dancers moving in a line, filling the space with tension, as they match their movements not by count, but breath. It is a fusion of gagaku which has no conductor, and ballet which is based on counts. ISEKI dances in a lustrous hagoromo robe, and her movement coexists with the ethereal atmosphere of Noh, which often has stories about conversations with the dead. This is a rare piece in which Japanese and Western elements coexist not in form, but in the way the body is used.

The Rite of Spring:
2021
Saitama Arts Theater : Main Theater

Traces Garden:
2021
Saitama Arts Theater : Adaptable Theater

Presented by: The Japan Foundation (JF) (https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/)
In cooperation with EPAD (https://epad.terrada.co.jp/)

<Performance Credits>
【The Rite of Spring】
Direction, Choreography: KANAMORI Jo
Music: I. Stravinsky《The Rite of Spring》
Performers: ISEKI Sawako, YAMADA Yuki, Geoffroy POPLAWSKI, HAYASHIDA Kairi, Charlie LEUNG, Kai TOMIOKA, TOBA Ayami, Stephen QUILDAN, NISHIZAWA Maya, MIYOSHI Rio, NAKAO Kota, SUGINO Karin, IKEDA Honoka, KHANAL Milan Hajime, TSUBOTA Hikaru, NAKAMURA Tomomi, AOKI Manami, KANENOBU Ikumi, KOBAYASHI Ayu, TSUCHIYA Keiko, WATABE Rino
Costume Design by: RATTA RATTARR
Chair Design by: SUNAGA Dan
Stage Manager: NATSUME Masaya
Stage Crew: NAKAI Hiroo, KOSUKEGAWA Mai
Lighting Design by: ITO Masakazu, KANAMORI Jo
Lighting Crew: ASHIDANO Kosuke, ITO Hideyuki
Sound Design by: SATO Tadashi
Production: RYUTOPIA Niigata City Performing Arts Center

【Traces Garden】
Direction, Choreography: KANAMORI Jo
Music: TAKEMITSU Tōru from 《In An Autumn Garden》 performed by Reigakusha
Performers: KANAMORI Jo, ISEKI Sawako, YAMADA Yuki
Costume Design by: DOMOTO Kyoko
Décor by: KONDO Masaki
Projection Design by: ENDO Ryu
Stage Manager: NATSUME Masaya
Stage Assistant: NAKAI Hiroo, KOSUKEGAWA Mai
Lighting Design by: ITO Hideyuki, KANAMORI Jo
Lighting Crew: MORIYA Saiko
Sound Design by: SATO Tadashi
Production: RYUTOPIA Niigata City Performing Arts Center
Premiere and Planning: ROHM Theatre Kyoto Traditional Theatre as Contemporary Performing Arts Series Vol. 4: Gagaku at ROHM Theatre Kyoto, 10th January 2021

<Promotional Text>
NORIKOSHI Takao

End date of distribution: 19/10/2023