Don't miss the new production "WOLF"! This summer, OrganWorks/Shintaro Hirahara presents the latest dance theater production at the Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center.
I once read somewhere that the longest journey for humankind is the journey within.
Ever since I finished interviewing Shintaro Hirahara, these words have been echoing in my head.
Hirahara is a dance company that focuses its creative activities on contemporary Japanese dance.
He is the head of "OrganWorks" and the person responsible for the composition, direction, and choreography of the new work "WOLF" that we are introducing today.
OrganWorks (©yixtape)
"WOLF" is a new work created during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the "wolf" that is the subject of the play
Hirahara said he drew inspiration from the Ezo wolf, which is native to Hokkaido, his hometown.
The Ezo wolf, once worshipped as a god by the Ainu people,
It is believed that they were gradually driven out and eventually became extinct over time.
"It starts with the fact that humans have a very careless attitude towards animals that are on the verge of extinction. Despite a time when wolves were revered as gods, at a certain point they were suddenly categorized as pests. The rapid changes in people's way of thinking and values are incredibly violent, and I think there are many aspects of that that can be compared to society today."
I had the desire to incorporate it into the work in a way that would work well.
"WOLF" image ©OrganWorks
Besides the wolf, which is the main subject, another important key element is "plastic."
It seems like a rather unusual subject matter to associate with wolves, so I wonder what kind of thoughts are behind it.
"Plastic wraps around things, but you can still see what's inside."
It's a strange material because it's ambiguous yet undeniably disconnected.
Also, I like going to see taxidermied animals; taxidermy also seems to separate life and death,
It's made to look like it's alive, but there are no living things there.
It's astonishing how cold and dismissive people's views become simply because there's no soul in it.
It just didn't feel right to me.
And that kind of "disconnection" can be represented with vinyl.
The meaning of this work is relevant to the times, and it reflects what we should be thinking about during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reason I've come to this decision is that it's become a really good fit for me."
"diss_olv_e" performance photos (2020) ©igaki photo studio
The phrase "getting sloppy" sent a slight chill down my spine because I know exactly what I'm talking about.
I myself have never reached out to a taxidermied animal and treated it with the same affection I would show to a living creature.
In this world, all the "disconnections" that unconsciously separate us
The idea is to express themselves using "vinyl," something we take for granted in our daily lives.
Every word from Ms. Hirahara makes my anticipation for the yet-to-be-seen stage grow stronger and stronger.
The boundary created by “disconnection” in “WOLF”
How exactly is it being handled?
"You shouldn't only go to see things you already know, and I want to be a generator of irregularities."
In today's world, you can choose to see only the things you like,
I think it's important to step outside of that.
I think unexpected things are always interesting, and I hope that people will understand the importance of coming to see those kinds of things."
Dancers Taeko Machida (left) and Shintaro Hirahara (right)
Come to think of it, lately, maybe it's because social media is picking up on my hobbies and preferences?
I realized I was being exposed to the same kind of information over and over again.
It felt like I had been gradually confined to a box that was slowly getting smaller without me realizing it.
In today's world, where many people are trapped in similar boxes, what is doing is not just throwing one stone, but four or five stones into the mix.
Isn't it someone named Shintaro Hirahara?
Perhaps Shintaro Hirahara, this irregularity-generating device, is the one who will break this box.
Shintaro Hirahara's world was the existing world as seen through his own filter.
It allows you to look at it from a new angle.
It gives me an opportunity to re-examine my own thoughts and values.
The message is primarily conveyed through physical expression in contemporary dance.
Stories and messages told through dance.
This summer, I too will embark on an inner journey through the world of Shintaro Hirahara.
I have a feeling this will be a much longer and deeper journey than anything we've experienced before.
Shintaro Hirahara (©️Hajime Kato)
【profile】
Born in Hokkaido in 1981. After a career in classical ballet and hip hop, she works as a contemporary dance specialist, dancer, choreographer, stage composer, and dance instructor. She also runs the dance company "OrganWorks" and engages in creative activities. She has participated in dance works both domestically and internationally, including those by Ryohei Kondo's "Condors" and Shintaro Oue's "C/Ompany". She actively collaborates with artists from other fields, such as Noh performer Reijiro Tsumura, providing choreography for theater companies like Iki-Ume, Kentaro Kobayashi, Kensaku Kobayashi, and Akira Shirai, and collaborating with visual artists Chiharu Shiota and Midori Harima. She was selected in the performing arts category for the special feature "The Next Person. ~ A Catalog of People Who Will Change Tomorrow ~" in the magazine "BRUTUS".
OrganWorks' new performance "WOLF"
[Date and time]
July 2, 2021 (Friday) 19:00~
Saturday, July 3, 2021, 11:00 AM (admission for children aged 3 and older), 3:00 PM
Sunday, July 4, 2021, 11:00 AM (admission for children aged 3 and up), 3:00 PM
[Written, directed, and choreographed by] Shintaro Hirahara
[Cast] Taeko Machida, Takkun Ikegami, Sae Onishi, Remi Murai, Jun Aoyagi, Rin Takagi
[Location] Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center, Studio HIKARI
(9-1 Momijigaoka, Nishi-ku, Yokohama City)
[Ticket prices]
All seats are unreserved (children under school age are not permitted).
General advance tickets: 3,500 yen. Tickets purchased on the day of the event: 500 yen extra for each ticket.
■U-24: 3,000 yen
■High school students and younger: 1,000 yen
(Please present your identification upon entry.)
△Discount for people with disabilities: Present your disability certificate upon arrival to receive a discount on your ticket price.
We will give you a ¥1,000 cashback.
[Ticket Sales]
□Peatix https://organworks-wolf.peatix.com
* Credit card payment, convenience store/ATM payment
□Google Form https://forms.gle/ktqckGuHEqhz9VpGA
*Cash payment on the day
[inquiry]
Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center Hall Management Division: 045-263-4475
OrganWorks: office@theorganworks.com
[Organizers] Kanagawa Prefecture, Kuraneo Co., Ltd.
[In cooperation with] Saison Foundation
[Planning and Production] OrganWorks, KuraNeo Co., Ltd.
[Produced by] Rayon Vert
