Don't miss the new work "WOLF"! This summer, OrganWorks/Shintaro Hirahara presents the latest dance theater performance at the Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center.
I once read somewhere that the farthest journey humanity can take is the inner journey.
These words have been echoing in my head ever since I finished my interview with Shintaro Hirahara.
Hirahara is the director of a dance company called "Yokohama Dance Company," which focuses on Japanese contemporary 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 this time.
OrganWorks (©yixtape)
"WOLF" is a new work created amid the coronavirus pandemic.
About the theme of the play: "Wolves"
Hirahara said he was inspired by the Hokkaido wolf that inhabits his hometown of Hokkaido.
The Hokkaido wolf was once worshipped as a god by the Ainu people.
It is believed that over time they were driven to extinction.
"It starts with the extremely rough attitude of humans towards animals that are becoming extinct. Although wolves were once worshipped as gods, at some point they were suddenly categorized as pests. The sudden change in people's way of thinking and values is extremely violent, and I think there are many parallels to modern society.
I had a desire to incorporate that into the work."
"WOLF" image ©OrganWorks
In addition to the main theme of the film, the wolf, another important key point is "vinyl."
It seems like a subject that is difficult to associate with wolves, so I wonder what kind of thoughts are behind it.
"Vinyl separates things, but you can still see what's inside.
It's a mysterious material that is ambiguous yet definitely disconnected.
Also, I like going to see stuffed animals, and stuffed animals also seem to represent the separation between life and death.
It makes it seem alive, but there's no living thing there.
I wondered if just a lack of soul could make people's views so cold and careless.
It just didn't feel right.
And that kind of "disconnection" can be expressed through vinyl.
The meaning of this work is contemporary, and what we should think about in the time of COVID-19.
It just seemed like a perfect fit, and that's what got me thinking about it now."
"diss_olv_e" performance photo (2020) ©igaki photo studio
The words "becoming sloppy" sent a chill down my spine because I was familiar with that experience.
Personally, I have never had the experience of reaching out and petting a stuffed animal the way I would a living creature.
In this world, all the "disconnections" that unconsciously separate us
The work is expressed using vinyl, something we use every day and take for granted.
With every word that Hirahara says, expectations for the yet to be seen performance grow.
In "WOLF" the boundaries created by "disconnection"
So how is it being handled?
"You shouldn't just go and see things you already know, I want to be an irregularity generator.
In today's world, we can pick and choose only what we like,
I think it’s important to get away from that.
I think unexpected things are interesting, and I hope to convey the importance of coming to see such things."
Dancers Taeko Machida (left) and Shintaro Hirahara (right)
By the way, recently, maybe it's because SNS can read my hobbies and interests.
I realized I was being bombarded with similar information.
It felt like I had been placed in a box that was gradually getting smaller and smaller.
In this day and age where many people are trapped in the same box, it is not just one stone but four or five stones that are being thrown.
I think his name is Hirahara Shintaro.
Perhaps it is the irregularity generator called Hirahara Shintaro who will break this box.
Shintaro Hirahara's world is a reflection of the existing world that we see through our own filters.
It lets you see it from a new angle.
It will be an opportunity to reexamine 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 journey farther and deeper than ever before.
Shintaro Hirahara (©️Hajime Kato)
【profile】
Born in Hokkaido in 1981. After a career in classical ballet and HipHop, he is now a contemporary dance specialist, working as a dancer, choreographer, stage composer and dance instructor. He also presides over the dance company "OrganWorks" and engages in creative activities. He has participated in dance productions both in Japan and abroad, such as "Condors" led by Kondo Ryohei and "C/Ompany" led by Oue Shintaro. He actively interacts with artists in other fields, such as collaborating with Noh actor Tsumura Reijiro, providing choreography to the theater company Ikiume, Kobayashi Kentaro, Kobayashi Kensaku, Shirai Akira and others, and collaborating with visual artists Shiota Chiharu and Harima Midori. He 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]
Friday, July 2, 2021 19:00～
Saturday, July 3, 2021 11:00~ (children aged 3 and over allowed), 15:00~
Sunday, July 4, 2021 11:00~ (children aged 3 and over allowed), 15:00~
[Written, directed and choreographed by] Shintaro Hirahara
Cast: Taeko Machida, Takkun Ikegami, Ayaka Onishi, Remi Murai, Jun Aoyagi, Rin Takagi
[Location] Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center Studio HIKARI
(9-1 Momijigaoka, Nishi-ku, Yokohama)
[Ticket price]
All seats are unreserved (preschool children not allowed)
General advance tickets: 3,500 yen Same-day tickets: 500 yen extra for each ticket
■U-24: 3,000 yen
■High school students and younger: 1,000 yen
(Please show your ID upon entry.)
△Discount for people with disabilities: Present your disability certificate when you visit and receive a discount on the ticket price.
You will receive a cashback of ￥1,000.
[Ticket sales]
□Peatix https://organworks-wolf.peatix.com
*Credit card payment, convenience store/ATM payment
□Googleform 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, CRANEO Co., Ltd.
[Cooperation] The Saison Foundation
[Planning and Production] OrganWorks, CRANEO Co., Ltd.
[Production] Rayon Veil
