Nibroll, the performing company, presents a new show titled "A Journey Without Distance."

This summer, the Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center, which is celebrating its momentous 60th anniversary,
The performing company Nibroll will be presenting their new production, "A Journey Without Distance."

This performance, which will be staged at Studio HIKARI, a space that was renovated in the spring of 2019 to specialize in performances including dance, music, and art, as well as physical expression using the body and voice, will start outside the theater as a "roaming" performance.
The idea is that performers and audience members can freely walk into the theater and travel together.
The "outside the theater" area is a "plaza" that incorporates the initial design concept of Kunio Maekawa, a leading Japanese modernist architect who designed the youth center, music hall, and library.
The performance will also take place in this plaza, which, like Studio HIKARI, was extensively renovated in 2019, creating a "journey without distance" where the audience, artists, and the space itself become one. High school students residing or studying in Kanagawa Prefecture are also scheduled to participate, and related events such as dance and video workshops will be held.

A practice session taking place in the plaza in front of the Youth Center, which was renovated in 2019. The camphor tree towering in the center is magnificent! Provided by: Prefectural Youth Center

Despite having a packed schedule of rehearsals that day, limiting the performance to about an hour, I was completely captivated by Yanaihara's artistic and profound world. Please enjoy it!

Artistic and somehow charming! Ms. Yanaihara is very appealing. Provided by: Prefectural Youth Center

■Please tell us about the background behind the creation of the touring performance "A Journey Without Distance."

Well, I've always been a stage performer, confined to the stage, to the box...
Actually, I've long wanted to create a work that connects not just the theatrical space, but the outside and the inside, the space, the body—all of these things are loosely connected.
Even though I've always wanted to do it, it's been quite difficult to make it happen until now due to audience size requirements and other various factors.
Meanwhile, the world was placed in the harsh environment of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I think that in those harsh conditions, we truly realized the importance of our bodies. I think we were forced to feel the immense importance of our bodies, realizing that "our bodies are irreplaceable, something we can't separate ourselves from."
It's the same for me; when I started working on stage, I became very conscious of "how to position the audience."
Of course, it was partly due to the special circumstances that required maintaining distance, but perhaps they felt that the audience had become even more distant and detached from them.
That's why I decided to create something where the performers, audience, space, sound, and visuals are all close together, and everyone can express and feel together with their whole bodies.
I feel like I've finally been able to make this happen thanks to everyone at the Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center, with whom I had the pleasure of working (lol), despite all my selfish requests and the trouble I caused them.

■What is the ideal way to position the audience?

How should I put it? It's kind of like going to an art museum to look at artwork.
The point is that customers don't sit down to appreciate art. They freely wander around and look at various wonderful and captivating works, feeling the voices that the artist or the artwork itself is speaking to them from up close.
So, I wanted to give both the audience and the performers more freedom of choice by allowing them to "roam" around the stage in the same way.
Isn't the human body more amazing than any work of art?! Just by raising your hand, bending it, or picking up a cup of tea, the space around you changes. Right? The human body is incredible! (laughs)
When you truly engage with someone, there are moments when you can even see the life they've lived.
The main point of this performance is that it's like "traveling together and reaching the goal together," with the audience close by, allowing not only the dancers but also the audience to experience the meaning of their own bodies. The changing spaces are interwoven with Nibroll's signature visuals and music, so the different feelings you experience in each place are also a highlight.

Practice session at the "plaza" (Photo provided by: Prefectural Youth Center)

■Please tell me about the choreography.

There are four performers in this show. They are all kids who have worked with their bodies, so you should be able to see something really interesting. To reiterate, the goal is for the audience and performers' bodies to be on the same level, so that "the audience can experience each performer's way of life and journey by superimposing it onto their own memories."
To avoid becoming overly technical like in ballet or modern dance, I consciously incorporate choreography and lyrics that express "life," such as the sun and light. Connecting words and the body (dance) is very difficult, and not many people can do it... but what I'm aiming for is a fusion of dance and theater in the "true sense."

A scene from a rehearsal in the "plaza." What are they trying to express with their whole bodies? Provided by: Prefectural Youth Center

Indoor performance rehearsal footage. Provided by: Nibroll

■What are your motivations for having high school students participate?

We've asked high school students to participate in this event as "trees," and the audience will walk down a corridor lined with them as trees. There's a special effect involving sound and visuals that will be used as they pass by, so please look forward to it!
I believe this experience for high school students will greatly influence their lives afterward. I myself learned in high school that not only technical skills, but also more everyday actions—for example, opening a window, drinking tea, raising your hand—are all connected to dance. I'm certain I wouldn't have become a dancer without that experience.
I want to teach them to act freely when they feel like it.
I'd be happy if even just one person emerged who could shine in this industry in the future (lol).

Thank you, Yanaihara-san!

>■Nibroll "Journey Without Distance" Performance Information

Cast: Moe Aoki, Takahiro Hosoya, Emi Koyama, Anna Kuroda
Direction and Choreography: Mikuni Yanaihara
Video, lighting, art direction... Keisuke Takahashi
Music...SKANK
Costume... Yosuke Tanaka
Video and Lighting Assistant: David Kirkpatrick
Promotional Art... Keisuke Takahashi
Production: Izumi Kasagi
Cooperation: Kinki University Yanaihara Laboratory, Murasaki Penguin

Date and time
Friday, July 22nd, 5:00 PM
July 23rd (Saturday) 13:00 - 17:00
Sunday, July 24th, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
*The performance is expected to last approximately 60 minutes.

venue
Prefectural Youth Center Studio HIKARI

Fee
General advance ticket: 3,000 yen
General admission on the day: 3,500 yen
For those 18 and under: Advance and same-day tickets: 1,500 yen (Please present identification showing your age on the day of the event)
*This performance will be a walk-through type of performance.
*Outdoors is standing room only, and inside Studio HIKARI, all seats are unreserved.
*In case of rain or severe weather, the event will be held only at Studio HIKARI.