Some Background to this German-Japanese Joint-Project

What does it actually mean to be able to dance; what kind of person can become a dancer; and how can such perceptions be modified through dialogue with those from diverse backgrounds? We examined such questions in various parts of this joint performative structure, beginning with the opening walking section, as though we were acknowledging post-modern dance that initially treated walking as a building block in dance. If compared with the straightforward conceptual structure of the 2009 Berlin presentation through to the 2011 performance in Kobe, this project’s structure has become more complex over time. For the 2012 Berlin performance, in addition to the innovative experiments initiated in Kobe, our members sought to further develop their improvisatory sense as well as to create three-dimensional interaction through dialogue with other participants, primarily on a one-on-one basis. As this dialogue without fixed movements reaches its peak, each member abruptly quickens their pace and starts to run, opening the door to the outside space. At the Berlin premiere, the skylight in the theatre space burst open during the performance, triggering a sudden shower of rain falling on the performing space. The three-day run of performances culminated on a high note, with a tremendous response not only from participants of the Dance Symposium, but also from members of Theater Thikwa and their families. Transcending those self-limiting boundaries between an artwork created by an artist and a social well-being project with a therapeutic mission, this project seeks to question audiences about what they have thus far overlooked or failed to recognize.

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The Role of the Dramaturg in Japan

In Japan, the role of the dramaturg has not yet been widely recognised in the dance world. Whenever differing approaches to the creative process come in contact with each other, we learn to change our previous working approach and examine each other’s value systems so that we can facilitate working together. It is of the utmost importance, however, to find a balance in the relationship between all parties concerned. As a dance dramaturg, one of my key roles in the Thikwa plus Junkan Project has been to try and establish a balance at all levels in their relationship.

Working together with Theater Thikwa

The Thikwa plus Junkan Project has been striving to develop a fresh approach toward creating a work, whereby a choreographer, dancers, dramaturgs, and stage designers can all exchange ideas and work together on an equal footing. In order to test the feasibility of crossing boundaries between “disability and ability” “Japan and Germany,” “performer and spectator” “theatre and "school,” we preferred to call our shared endeavour a "project" so as to underline the fact that it was an ongoing process rather than a completed work. The term equally implies encouraging the circulating of values, as explored in the Junkan Project back in Japan, and at the same time of interlinking the histories of these two theatrical institutions in Japan and Germany. The objective behind the Thikwa plus Junkan Project has not only been to discover new aesthetic sensibilities but also new contexts for dance, all while questioning conventional notions about dancers, dance productions and the true nature of an artwork.