Hirokazu Tategata's Danceable LIFE Vol.6
The job of "choreography" allows me to see a world different from my own
Hirokazu Tategata (Actor, Dancer, Choreographer)
At some point, I started to get more involved in choreography as a job. I started with staging reading plays, and then I tried my hand at musicals. Last year, I was in charge of choreography for "Kiki's Delivery Service."
When I choreograph for others, I sometimes see a world different from what I had imagined. When the world I imagined is given form by a body different from my own, a landscape I never imagined is born. It's a very interesting experience.
On the other hand, it's quite difficult to choreograph for myself. Because I know my own limitations, everything ends up being predictable and boring. I find it fun to think about how to arrange the choreography that someone else has given me and dance it in my own way. That's why, even for small scenes, I often ask people I trust to choreograph for me.
For about four years now, I have been involved in choreographing artistic swimming (formerly known as synchronized swimming). Of course, I don't actually get in the water to teach. I think about the overall structure and theme, choose the music, and choreograph the upper body movements on land and in the water. Head coach Masayo Imura comes up with the foot movements, so it's a collaborative effort, so to speak.
It may seem like we have something in common, "dancing," but for me, we're in completely different industries, so I was a bit taken aback when I first heard about the project. But Professor Imura told me, "Because you're not from the industry, it's interesting precisely because you have no knowledge at all." If you're bound by common sense, you won't be able to come up with anything unique, so he said, "Say something crazy." I was impressed by his imaginative power.
Artistic swimming, as the name suggests, is a sport that requires a high level of artistry. What was expected of me was primarily to teach "sly expressiveness." Overseas swimmers have a strong appeal, and from the moment they step on stage, they give off an aura that says, "I'm the best in the world." I was asked to teach Japanese swimmers that same expressiveness and "slyness." I'm not a particularly skillful dancer, but I'm proud of the fact that I've honed the strength of my feelings about the piece, how to immerse myself in it, and my concentration. I think that's what Mr. Imura noticed.
I believe the most important thing about choreography is to bring out the best in each person. Since they asked me to do it, I could develop the "Tategata world," but the actual expression will be with a body that is different from mine. Rather than forcing it on them, I think it's important to imagine what it would be like if they embodied my world.
That said, I think we both struggled at first because we didn't have a common language. In order to get the athletes to understand my idea of "expression," I tried changing my techniques, changing the items, and choosing a variety of words to communicate. There are many abstract expressions, so a wide range of experience is necessary to understand each other. Imura-sensei encourages the athletes to watch a variety of things, including dance, theatrical performances, kabuki, music, and art. In fact, Imura-sensei has a wide range of experience in the arts, so it was a wonderful experience for me to choreograph while exchanging opinions.
After four years, the players have become interested in a variety of worlds and have started going to see a variety of things. I feel like we are starting to have a common language.
At the French Open held in March this year, Yukiko Inui, for whom I choreographed, won the solo freestyle competition. I feel that she has built a good momentum for the 2020 Tokyo tournament.
