LAND FES DIVERSITY Fukagawa is a project in which dancers and participants, regardless of disability, age and nationality, work together to create video works in Fukagawa. This year we held a total of eight days of workshops and shootings, directed by two groups of dancers, Naoyuki Sakai&Shun Nakamura and Yu Okamoto. Led by the facilitators, the participants tried out various dance exercises and created a lot of communication through their bodies. Check out the latest two works, full of the charm of Fukagawa and the dance that connects people.
“Kasanare Fukagawa Ondo” was born out of a desire to convey the charm of the Fukagawa area and its people through music and dance. While holding workshops in Fukagawa, I heard various stories from the people who live there. “Fukagawa is a pleasant place where the wind blows through. “ “There are old temples, churches, and also a river, so this area is protected from development. “ “Geographically and historically, there are many layers that overlap here. “ I came up with the lyrics based on these stories. This video work is a record of a wonderful time when everyone from children to adults of different backgrounds danced together. Enjoy the colors, shapes and landscapes that only become visible when different bodies overlap. I hope that this music and dance will once again be an opportunity to connect people, just as people come together to dance to the “Ondo” at traditional Japanese festivals.
Choreography/Workshop Facilitate Shun Nakamura
The unique bodies of the participants are captured in this video work along with the landscape, nature and people of Fukagawa. I am very happy to have been a part of such a wonderful project. At first I thought it would be a little difficult for people who don’t normally dance to suddenly start dancing, but it was amazing to see how the workshop participants released their minds and bodies, which naturally allowed us to make a good video work. That’s my impression. As instructors, we just guided people of all ages who were good at expressing their feelings through their bodies. It’s not only great to see the smiles on their faces, but it’s also worthwhile to see how their bodies naturally respond to each other. As the name ”Kasanare Fukagawa Ondo” suggests, it was a time when I cherished the feeling of togetherness while dancing with everyone who participated.
Vocal Aoi Tagami
Music by Naruki Numazawa
Compose and Lyrics Toru hasegawa
Video Shooting Cartive LLC Junpei Okuda
Video Shooting Assistant Ryuji Kishima Teppei Itabashi
Video Editing Kenta Tsujimura
Trace Fukagawa
Direction/Choreography Yu Okamoto
Instead of “dancing with Fukagawa as a background,” I wanted to express the true nature of people, scenery and history. Even if we roughly classify them as people, each person is unique and beautiful, so I tried to never lose them. Fukagawa is made up of 25 regions connected by history, and I didn’t want to lose that either. I asked myself, instead of beautifying the charm of the city and its people, how can I express it directly? Since dance can exist without any falsehood, I wanted to create a way to avoid emotional overtones. I explored the entire area of Fukagawa, relying on the “address display board” installed at every block in the city, and left the work open so that participants could express themselves freely within a solid and logical composition. I hope it will not be something you know how to look at, but something that makes you want to think about it when you see it, that makes you want to think about the feelings that remain in you. Everything in this work is filled with my love. I hope that through this work you will feel Fukagawa’s existence and its relationship with people as something special.
Music Taro Okada
Assistant Ayaka Hikima
Video Shooting Cartive LLC
Video Shooting Assistant Ryuji Kishima Teppei Itabashi
Video Editing Kenta Tsujimura Teppei Itabashi
Produced by NPO LAND FES SWOON Co., Ltd
Chief Producer Dai Matsuoka
Project Director Makoto Ando
Granted by Arts Council Tokyo Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture
Supported by Koto Ward Japan Down Syndrome Society NPO Acceptions
Cooperated by Daisuke Uzunami, Ayumi Kurosaki, Toshikazu Goto&Fumiko Ikeda(gift_), Yuta Hirai , Naoko Matsushima, Basho Memorial Museum, Yougakuji, NPO Diglove, Social Welfare Corporation Seikyushu
