New style group "MWnos" to hold triumphant return concert
The award-winning performance by MWnos, the group that won the Grand Prize in the Drama Competition at the Kanagawa Short Play Awards 2022, will be held at the Kanagawa Youth Center Studio HIKARI from December 14th to 17th, 2023. This time, we interviewed the three writers and directors of the play to find out what to look forward to.
Two dance companies come together
The Grand Prize winning work "ROBIN" was MWnos' first work, which explored a new form of fusion between dance and theater.
ROBIN: Anxiety and conflict
MWnos: To be honest, I was surprised when we won the grand prize.
In a competition for short plays, we were worried and conflicted about whether our work, which included a lot of dance, would be seen as a play in the first place.
--I think "ROBIN" was a worthy winner of this award as it challenges new theatrical forms.
Uemura: I usually work in the dance field, so I was genuinely happy to receive such a response. It may be the opposite of what we should have done, but winning the award has made me think more deeply about the characteristics of the MWnos group. Dance is not a genre where you don't talk at all, but I believe that there is a world we can reach because we have faced expression in a world with few words.
- Was there anything else that impressed you?
Kubo-san: It was stimulating to be able to watch theatrical works by people of the same generation even through a monitor. Because we have a short history of collaborations, it was a good opportunity to reconsider our own color, theater, dance, and expression.
Takahashi: The Kanagawa Short Play Awards results were not just announced, but were open to the public, so it was interesting to see how our work would be evaluated as a theatrical piece. We ended up winning the Grand Prix, and at first it didn't really feel real, but as MWnos we were able to find new ways of expression and creativity, so I'm glad we took on the challenge.
Dance as a language: A full-length work, "Hitoguramu Hito"
MWnoz: "Jinguramu Hito" is a piece with the theme of "making casual conversations into something with diverse expressions," and this will be its first performance. The connection from "ROBIN" is also one of the highlights, and the three members of MWMW and the two members of Von・noz will be taking on this challenge for the first time.
Uemura: MWMW x Von・no's is listed on the leaflet as a double performance of dance and theater, but we have literally scaled it up, so I hope you will enjoy it and feel warm and fuzzy, laughing, and taking a moment to think about it. I felt that we respected the approaches, ideas, and thoughts of both groups as much as possible, and created it with the idea that there are always three different answers as an important axis. Since it is a work that can be interpreted in three different ways by three different people, I would be happy if the audience could find their own answers.
--It's interesting to see how much attention to detail you put into your work. Is there anything else worth seeing?
MWnos: To be honest, it was winning the Grand Prix for "ROBIN" that gave us the opportunity to understand who we are. Theater is words, and dance is physical expression. So what would happen if we tried to think of dance as a language? I feel like winning the Grand Prix clarified our own style of expression, making us realize, "So this is what theater created by dancers looks like."
Takahashi: As I was creating the piece, I felt that it was a dance x theater piece, not a + (plus) but a x (multiply), and that it wasn't biased towards one side or the other, so I would like to deliver this as one form of expression. I think that even people who are not familiar with dance or theater can enjoy this piece, and I would like people who do dance and theater to see it.
The uncut version of "ROBIN" is also available on YouTube, so you may enjoy it even more if you check it out before coming to the venue.
-Finally, please tell us about your enthusiasm for the upcoming performances in Kanagawa and Yokohama.
Uemura: When I was a child, Yokohama was associated with Chinatown. After I discovered the Yokohama Dance Collection, I learned that many art events were held in Yokohama, and my impression of the city changed to that of an arts town. As a port city, there is also an impression of active exchange. It is an honor to be able to perform a work in such a lively and passionate area, and it is certainly exciting.
Kubo-san: Yokohama has many small theaters and art spaces, such as the Kanagawa Arts Theater, Kanagawa Prefectural Civic Hall, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, and I have the impression that it is a city that puts a lot of effort into the arts. We are also very excited to be able to perform in Yokohama. This time, we will also be performing at the art festival "Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting 2023 (YPAM2023)", so I would be happy if you could come to MWnos' performance while visiting various venues as if you were going to a food stall.
Takahashi: We have performed dance pieces all over Yokohama in the past, but this time we will be participating in the Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting 2023 (YPAM2023) and will be performing as part of the fringe program during that time. It's a chance for more people to know about our work. Audiences will be coming from overseas, so I hope it will be an opportunity for us to take flight from Yokohama to the world.
MWnos
Special page for "Jinguramu Hito": here
Full version of the winning work "ROBIN" (YouTube): here
MWnos "Hitoguramu Hito"
Date and time: Thursday, December 14th to Sunday, December 17th, 2023
Venue: Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center Studio HIKARI [9-1 Momijigaoka, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture]
Written, directed and choreographed by: Moeto Takahashi, Yuki Uemura and Kae Kubo
Cast: Moeto Takahashi, Yuki Uemura, Kae Kubo, Atsushi Kanamori, Yuki Nakatani
《MWMW》
Instagram: HERE
YouTube channel: here
"Von・no's"
Instagram: HERE
