"Dancing body and Japaneseness at the beginning of 21th century"

Yukihiko YOSHIDA

 In February 2005, as a part of Tokyo Citizens' Art Festival at New National
Theater Tokyo, Kaoru Uchida and Saeko, who represent Japanese
contemporary dance, showed their excellent works.

 Uchida showed both Japanese modern dance to contemporary "Twisted in
Blue"("Blue ni kongaragatte"). Uchida express fine women's daily life
and loneliness, as contemporary dance. "Keutzer Sonata" was a very
interesting work as modern dance. An excellent dancer with black dress
danced sharply with famous classical music. Her dance style was close
to 1930s' European modern dance such as Niddy Impekoven.  That was
origin of Japanese modern dance after World War II. There are many
artists who were influenced by Impekoven in Japan.  It can be said
that this work became typical and excellent Japanese modern dance
after World War II.

 Saeko expressed her works by powerful and sharp movement. Her dance
style is under the influence of post modern dance after Trisha Brown.
"Veil" expresses a woman's life through the metapher of marriage.  "Duo"
is an excellent duo with a male dancer, Taishi Aizawa.  Saeko showed
postmodern and global body in Japan.

 As Taiwanese dance researchers Ya-Ping Chen and Yatin Lin pointed out,
Japanese modern dance is important to discuss Asian dance and
post-colonialism.  Japanese scholars Koichi Sakai and Naoki Sakai
discussed Japanese identity and Asia sharply .  Sakai proposed a
concept,"Postcolonialisty ."  At the beginning of the 21th century,
"Japaneseness"(Sakai & Iwabuchi) is changing.

 In Asia Pacific, Japanese idols's dance represents Japanese popular
culture.  For instance, a singer Namie Amuro is famous for this
reason.  I think that Japanese should look for how Japanese culture
reflects in Asia Pacific.

Photo:
Uchida Kaoru,"Twisted in Blue" Photo: Haruhisa Yamaguchi

Saeko, "Veil" Photo: Hiroyuki Mizuuchi

URL:

Saeko http://blog.livedoor.jp/saekosoymilkjapan/" title="http://blog.livedoor.jp/saekosoymilkjapan/" target="_blank"http://blog.livedoor.jp/saeko... 

Kaoru Uchida & Roussewaltz http://www.kalin-net.com/roussewaltz/" title="http://www.kalin-net.com/roussewaltz/" target="_blank"http://www.kalin-net.com/rous...

Namie Amuro: http://www.avexnet.or.jp/amuro/" title="http://www.avexnet.or.jp/amuro/" target="_blank"http://www.avexnet.or.jp/amur...