Maki Morishita takes on the challenge! Part 2 of the Beethoven Symphonies Complete Project

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File.7 Morishita Stand "Dancing all movements of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9"
Koichi Imai (editor/writer)

Dancer and choreographer Maki Morishita, who performed "Tenkomori," a project that reflected his own dance life, at the opening of Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center Studio HIKARI, will perform a new work adopted by the Magcal Theater , which aims to discover and nurture young talents who will create future live performances. However, for some reason, he has a gloomy face.
"Many people have said to me, 'You're going to do Beethoven's 5th Symphony, 'Fate,' which Morishita-san danced solo, but with a group dance.' This time it's not 5th Symphony, but 9th Symphony. It's a new piece! I'm in charge of the choreography from scratch, and Morishita Stand will be dancing. A lot of people get the same idea, so it's a bit of a problem (wry smile)."
* April: Residency production at Kinosaki International Art Center (trial performance) ©️igaki photo studio

In March 2016, Morishita choreographed "Fate" for the Kani City Cultural Creation Center's (Gifu Prefecture) "Let's Dance with the Orchestra!" project (an initiative in which local residents danced to the live music of a local symphony orchestra). This experience sparked her fascination with "Fate," leading her to dance solo with the first movement choreographed by MIKIKO, the second by Mirai Moriyama, the third by Naoki Ishikawa, and the fourth by Akira Kasai (though it's a truly impressive lineup). Since then, she has danced the first movement with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Hikaru Ebihara, who also serves as music director, and with live music by pianist Yasuhiko Imanishi. In "Tenkomori," she also danced the fourth movement alongside dancers from the Morishita Stand. She truly is a woman of "Fate."
* April: Residency production at Kinosaki International Art Center (trial performance) ©️igaki photo studio

So why is it the 9th this time?

"The truth is, when I did 'Fate,' I felt like I couldn't die until I had performed all of Beethoven's Symphonies from No. 1 to No. 9. I wasn't originally a fan of Beethoven, but when I encountered him, it became my mission. I wonder if I can do it in my lifetime? Ebiwara-san will be involved as the music director, and he has already made plans for the future, saying things like, 'Next is No. 7,' and it is becoming a project that aims to complete them all (laughs).
"The 9th"? Next year marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, so I chose it because I wanted to do what I wanted to do. I'll still be performing "Fate," but I also hope to eventually do something like a joint performance of "Fate" and "9th," and I'd be happy if I was invited to a concert somewhere at the end of the year as a "spectacular 9th." After the premiere at Studio HIKARI in the Kanagawa Youth Center, I'd like to perform with the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra at Kanagawa Prefectural Hall, for example.

Recently, Morishita has been coming up with some strikingly unique projects, getting others involved, and casually bringing them to fruition. What will the fate of "No. 9" be?
*Mr. Morishita earnestly explaining his production plan at Studio HIKARI

When people think of "No. 9," many will think of the final chorus. So the concept of this piece is to take on the challenge of a group dance.
"The other day, Ebiwara-san gave a lecture on the 9th Symphony along with 10 young dancers from Morishita Stand. We spoke about Beethoven and the appeal of the 9th Symphony, and he also gave us chorus instruction. Ebiwara-san is a conductor, so you could say he is a director who brings the sound together. One thing that made an impression on me was when he said, 'The 9th Symphony is not about unifying the musicians, but rather it is characterized by the energy that connects each performer with their own interpretation so that they don't fall apart.' In fact, Morishita Stand is the same. Our members come from a wide range of backgrounds, from ballet to street dance, modern dance, rhythmic gymnastics, and theater, and we are all strong individuals, each creating our own works. We are all determined to perform the 9th Symphony, so we are barely maintaining a balance (laughs). We are all people, including myself, who are not suited to group dance (probably), but we have an incredible ability to ultimately make the choreography our own."

* April: Residency production at Kinosaki International Art Center (trial performance) ©️igaki photo studio

Morishita Stand is a company formed by young members whom Morishita Maki met at the Yokohama Dance Collection and other events. Although their physicality and dance technique are impressive, when it comes to creating a piece, she feels that it is a shame. She was curious to see what would happen if she choreographed it herself, and so she formed the company through an audition.
This will be the first new production by the Morishita Stand Company. "With a company, I can experiment in many different ways, and I hope to grow as a person through that," Morishita says.

In April, I did a two-week residency at Kinosaki International Arts Center, where I drew sketches of the piece, and the overall picture is already clear. All that's left now is to work on it over the next month.

"What I think when I dance is that the themes of both 'Fate' and 'No. 9' are the same: overcoming adversity, reaching new heights, and ultimately reaching joy. But 'No. 9' gives me the impression of having more diverse sounds and seeing more diverse landscapes. It feels like traveling around the world. A journey of phrases in search of joy. I hope that our dance also shows different landscapes."

Please let the theater-loving Governor of Kanagawa, Kuroiwa, know that he "would love for you to see it!"

This event has ended.
Morishita Stand New Dance Performance
"Dancing all movements of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9"
[Date and Time] October 3rd (Thursday) - 6th (Sunday)