Kota Yamazaki Dance in (glowing) September 22, 2012

Lakewood Cultural Center presents

Kota Yamazaki Dance in (glowing)



Bodies emerge, float, and then disappear...

The Lakewood Cultural Center is pleased to announce the Colorado debut of Bessie Award-winning Japanese dancer/choreographer Kota Yamazaki’s new work, (glowing). This new, visually striking work explores the Japanese aesthetics found in shadow and darkness. (glowing) makes its Denver premiere at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 22, 2012 in the intimate 316-seat theater (470 S. Allison Parkway at Wadsworth and Alameda). Tickets are $26 and are available by calling 303-987-7845, online at www.Lakewood.org/CulturalCenter or at the Lakewood Cultural Center Box Office, 470 S. Allison Parkway. Senior, student and group discounts are available. There is plenty of free, well-lit parking on site.

Kota Yamazaki’s (glowing) draws inspiration from the culturally significant essay “In Praise of Shadows” by famous writer Jun’ichiro Tanizaki, which examines Japanese aesthetics in terms of shadows found in the dimly lit interior of a traditional Japanese house. In this subtle and powerful work for six dancers, Yamazaki draws on his own deep background in butoh, ­­­a collective name for a diverse range of dance, performance, or movement developed in Japan after WWII. Traditionally, this dance-form is performed in white body-makeup with slow hyper-controlled motion and without a set. Embracing darkness, it often involves grotesque imagery, taboo topics, and absurd environments. In(glowing), Yamazaki connects butoh with traditional African dance and contemporary movement to mine the inherent similarities between these forms. Set to an original score by Kohji Setoh, dancers from Senegal and Ethiopia join Japanese butoh dancers and US contemporary performers to create a scenario in which lightless vision ignites the imagination, conjuring illusion and upturning the ordinary between the shadows.

Kota Yamazaki began studying butoh at age 18 with legendary dancer Akira Kasai. In 1996, he formed his first group rosy, co. in Japan and created a number of works, including: What's Wrong(1996); Picnic (1997); Chinoise Flower (1999); FoisGras (2000); Cholon (2001). In 2002, he formed his current group Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug in New York, where he is currently based. Recently, Yamazaki has felt the need to answer “What does butoh mean to me?” In (glowing), Yamazakiexplores the beauty of shadow/darkness with his hugely eclectic group of dancers, each with their own technique/style/trained background.

This project is an important self-reflection for Yamazaki, who has presented at venues including: Dance Theatre Workshop (NYC), Danspace (NYC), Painted Bride (Philadelphia), Columbia College Chicago’s Dance Center, PICA’s TBA Festival (Portland, OR), Jacobs Pillow (MA), Global DanceFest (NM), Melbourne International Arts Festival, The National University of Singapore, Setagaya Public Theater (Tokyo), and Bank Art (Yokohama). Yamazaki has also taught at universities and dance/art centers such as National University of Arts (Seoul), Arizona State University, UC Riverside, Columbia College Chicago, International Summer School (Tokyo), PAS (Tokyo), Yotsuya Art Stadium (Tokyo), Architanz (Tokyo), Bennington College (Vermont) and Kyoto University of Art and Design.

Dance company member Ryoji Sasamoto has been nominated for a 2012 Bessie Award for his performance in (glowing). The New York Dance and Performance Awards – informally known as the Bessie Awards, in honor of Bessie Schonberg – are awarded annually for exceptional choreography, performance, music composition, visual design and other areas of dance and performance. Kota Yamazaki was awarded the 2007 Bessie Award for his work on Fagaala. The Bessies will take place on October 15, 2012 at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York City.

This program is supported by the National Dance Project and the New England Foundation for the Arts. The 2012-2013 Lakewood Cultural Center Presents Season is generously supported by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), with appreciation to the citizens of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Sheraton Denver West and The Denver Post Community, improving and enriching the lives of those in our community.