Momoko Shirakami, Kanta Nakamori, and Hideki Izumi talk about Kanagawari Classical Project 2014 “Enoshima Maude Dance”

Interview: Masamasa Nishino Text: Akiko Inoue Photo: Eri Nishiyama

The second installment of the "Kanagawari Classic Project," a project to "Re" disseminate cultural heritage, which is the "treasure" of the region, as a culture and art that lives in modern times, is set in Enoshima, a historical tourist destination by the sea. will be held on. Momoko Shirakami, the head of Momonga Complex, whose humorous choreography is characterized by its looseness, will create a site-specific time and space where various dances rooted in the prefecture come together. This time's "Re-Classical Project 2014 Enoshima Maude Maidori" is scheduled to be held on October 4th (Saturday), which is usually a popular event at "Eno Fes" . The collaboration of genres such as contemporary dance and Nohgaku, which are both active in modern times but have rarely intersected, and the addition of folk performing arts representing the five regions of Fujisawa, Odawara, Sagamihara, Miura, and Yokosuka, will bring together the richness of Kanagawa's dance. This seems like a valuable opportunity to explore that possibility.

This time, we will be featuring Mr. Shirakami, the director, and Kanta Nakamori, a Kanze-ryu Noh performer who is active in promoting Nohgaku such as operating the Kamakura Noh Stage.Although he has a background as a master of Japanese dance, he is also known as the ``21st Century Geba Geba Dance Company.'' We spoke to Hideki Izumi, who is active in the event, about this event, which is currently in the midst of trial and error.

What are the roots of the three people's expressions? !

- Thank you for joining us today. I'd like to talk to you about various things right away, but have the three of you met several times?

Shirakami-san and Izumi-san have been friends since their school days, right?

Shirakami: Yes, we were classmates in college. This is the second time I have met Mr. Nakamori.

Nakamori: Previously, we had a meet-and-greet at the Cultural Affairs Division of Kanagawa Prefecture, and I had the opportunity to say hello at that time.

- I believe that the second Re-Classical Project, ``Enoshima Maude Maiodori,'' is creating something completely new from scratch, so I'm really curious to see what kind of event it will be. Before we get into the content, I would like to ask everyone to briefly introduce themselves.

Now, Mr. Shirakami, please.

Shirakami: I originally grew up in a normal family, but since I was little I used to go see small theater productions that my father appeared in, and my mother, who was a Takarazuka fan, would often take me to see Takarazuka. is. As for dance, when I was little I couldn't decide between Japanese dance or ballet, and I really liked ballerina's feet, so I started ballet. But when I was in college, I wanted to study production, so I studied art management.

- That's where you met Izumi-san, right?

Shirakami: That's right. When I entered Oberlin University, the art department had just been established, so the existence of the department was not well known within the university. People looked at me like, ``I wonder what those people wearing those jerseys are like~'', so in order to highlight our presence, the seniors who were one year older decided to hold a festival-like festival with dancing and live music. We launched an outdoor project called ``Let's do something.'' There weren't many dancers there, so I was entrusted with the choreography.It's simple, but I thought, ``If I create something, people will like it...'' so I got into a groove, and I think that's what led me to where I am today. .

- Mr. Izumi, do you mean that you danced Japanese dance at home, and at university you wore jerseys and danced contemporary dance with Mr. Shirakami and others?

Izumi: That's right. Rather than wearing a jersey and dancing, I was cutting plywood for art (lol) I was born in Kamakura, and my family practices Japanese dance, so I have no love or dislike for Japanese dance. I grew up touching it. Along the way, there were times when I didn't like it, but since I was born into this family, I decided to study dance properly, so I started studying. Later, when I entered university and interacted with various people including Mr. Shirakami, I realized that I needed to become a person who could properly express myself through Japanese dance, and I have continued to do so to this day. It's been 10 years since I graduated from university, but from now on, I'm determined to fully instill my art, Japanese dance, into my body and understand it with my heart. By chance, I was able to pay a visit to Ejima Shrine to inherit the style of Iemoto. Also, I am indebted to the people of Kanagawa Prefecture on a daily basis, so when I was approached about this project, I thought it would be something interesting to do. I am participating in this project because I hope it will be an opportunity for people from various genres to come together and see the performing arts of Kanagawa Prefecture in one place.

- Thank you very much. Finally, Mr. Nakamori, please.

Nakamori: Although we have been involved in the world of Noh for a long time, we are a fairly new family, having entered the industry since my father's generation. Since I was an only child, I naturally assumed the role of Noh's successor, and have been performing Noh for the past 50 years, since I was three years old. My father strongly disliked the idea that Noh was something that was only seen by people who knew it, so our group needs to be recognized by the general public, and to do so we must continue to spread the seeds. With this in mind, we chose a path that focused on dissemination.

Although we were evacuated by people who thought that Noh was something noble, we have been giving performances at schools since the 1960s. But now, this has been recognized, and thanks to you, we have been certified as a public interest incorporated foundation, and my father himself has even received the national regional cultural merit award.

Inheriting that stance of spreading the word, I have continued my activities to this point.

I also perform in more than 30 songs a year, and my work has been designated as an intangible cultural property, and thankfully I have received a fair amount of recognition.
I have been participating in this ``Re-Classics Project'' since the first time, and I have always been indebted to Kanagawa Prefecture, so I would like to be able to repay the favor.

- Thank you very much.

Classical performing arts x contemporary dance

- Now, I would like to listen to your story about this project. I heard that Mr. Izumi was first approached by Kanagawa Prefecture's cultural affairs division, and Mr. Shirakami, the director, was mentioned by Mr. Izumi. Mr. Izumi, you are active in both Japanese dance and contemporary dance, but have you always had a desire to fuse traditional performing arts and modern dance like you did this time?

Izumi: To put it bluntly, I believe that ultimately there are no boundaries in the performing arts, and there is a common underlying thread, so there are things that can be drawn out from each other by combining each other's expressions. That's what I always thought.

When I heard this story this time, I thought that in order to bring together various performing arts in one place, for example, if the presentations were to be made by each group one after another, the audience would not receive the show very well. I thought that would be the case, so I introduced Shirakami-san, who could properly direct the whole thing, as the right person to do it.

- Do you mean that you don't just want it to be interesting, you want it to have a solid concept?

Izumi: I mean, I think it has to be interesting.
In other words, I think it would be difficult if we didn't present our products to each of our audiences, whether it's Noh, dance, or folk performing arts, in a way that would make them want to take a listen, rather than just lining them up and saying, ``Here you go.'' I'm here. It would be an even better project if we could have people watch a variety of performing arts, not just the ones they were looking for, and find them interesting, and if the performers could also feel proud of the performing arts they are involved in. I think it will be.

- I see. As you just mentioned, this time it's a fairly large gathering of dancers, musicians, local performers, and Noh actors. By the way, was it decided from the beginning that folk performing artists from various parts of Kanagawa Prefecture would be participating this time?

Shirakami: Well, that's actually the foundation, or rather, the main character. When we received the offer, the culture department talked passionately about wanting to do something that would bring together a lot of dances and performing arts that are rooted in the local area, such as the ``Tiger Dance of Yokosuka'' or the ``Chakki Rako'' of Miura. Please give it to me.

So, I thought there was a way to tell a story when such people gathered together, so I decided to create a story that would make people proud of their country and say, ``People from all over Kanagawa come to Enoshima to perform the dances of their respective regions.'' I came up with a framework. I also thought it would be great if tourists visiting Enoshima could watch the dance in the same way they came to pray, and then go home dancing at the end.

At the end of the performance, I asked Mr. Nakamori to perform a Noh play called ``Enoshima'', which was actually about two hours long, but I asked him to cut it down to 15 minutes...

Nakamori: Noh is basically a theater where you can't change the production, so it's not really suitable for collaboration. For example, it wouldn't be so difficult to divide the performance into the first half and the second half by inserting something in between, but the rules made it impossible for the performance to be on stage at the same time as something else. Therefore, it can be said that it is a play that completely goes against the concept of this project. However, since there is a song called "Enoshima" and the venue is Enoshima, I would like to give a congratulatory message this time, also serving as a final celebration.

- Is it usually shortened to this extent?

Nakamori: In the first half of ``Enoshima,'' there is a scene for almost an hour that just talks about how Enoshima was created. This time I will omit that and only show the second half, so I think it is a little different from shortening it. I happened to have performed the role before, so I felt comfortable accepting the role, but the song ``Enoshima'' itself is a song that is rarely seen. By the way, due to issues with stage space and microphone level adjustment, we will be recording the music this time. However, if the sound source is properly recorded in a studio like this time, I think it will be easier for the audience to listen to. Normally, recordings of Noh are rarely performed, but as Noh itself needs to change in the future, I think this could be a way to appeal to new ways of performing Noh.

- I have heard that since your father's time, Mr. Nakamori's school has been flexible as a means of spreading Noh to many people. I imagine that the attempt to use this recording is based on the consciousness inherited from the previous generation.

Nakamori: Actually, I have experience with it before. However, when we use recordings, we are doing so based on the principle of not reusing them. Basically, there is no need to reuse it.

- I see. I personally had a strict image of Noh, so I was surprised to hear that since your father's time, various innovations have been made, such as incorporating laser beams and using transparent stages, including this recording. Ta. He also has experience performing with the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra.

Do you have any images in mind of collaborating with Shirakami-san and other people in the genre known as contemporary dance?

Nakamori: When you told me about it, I thought it would only fit in as a play within a play. For example, if they had to exchange lines at the same time, it would become a ``play performed by Noh actors,'' and it would not be able to meet the expectations of the audience who came to see the Noh performance. But of course, I don't think it's a bad thing to do something that's done properly, and to do something that's arranged as a different genre. I hope that this will lead to people wanting to see authentic Noh. However, it will take a lot of time to do that, so if there is an opportunity to work with Mr. Shirakami over the next year or two to create a proper script, of course I would be happy to cooperate.

- It would be great if something like this were born out of the Re-Classical Project.

Shirakami: That's right. I wish I had the opportunity to spend more time on it.

Nakamori: It's not a good idea to mess with current songs, so it would be nice if it could be done in the form of a new song.
Of course, I may be criticized for doing this, but I would like to do something that I am glad I did in the future.

- That's how things change with the times. By the way, I heard that Mr. Izumi is also teaching Japanese dance this time.

Izumi: That's right. I will also be performing.

Shirakami: This time, I came up with a character called “Five Shirasu Men.” The name came from a combination of Enoshima's famous whitebait and ``Shiranami Gonin Otoko'' (note: a common name for a Kabuki play depicting the exploits of Japan's leading thieves) , and Mr. Izumi was one of them. I hope that you will be able to watch the movements of these five people while keeping them in mind. By the way, the number "5" is also an image of the five-headed dragon (note: a dragon that lived in a lake that existed at the time in Fukasawa, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture) .

Izumi: When you perform Japanese dance, you inevitably have to wear a kimono. That's why costumes and floors are usually closely related. The same is true for Noh.

Nakamori: It's the same. First of all, the floor must be flat.

Izumi: However, in cases like this one, where we have a new character setting of ``Five Shirasu Men'' and an irregular outdoor venue, it is an opportunity to try out how to utilize what we have cultivated in Japanese dance in such situations. I hope to take on the challenge as

- I'm curious about how it will work. How are elements of Japanese dance and contemporary dance incorporated into your movements?

Izumi: I think it stands out better as a character when it comes to Japanese dance, or rather, when the audience sees it, they feel that it's a typical Japanese movement, and it comes to mind as a metaphor. I don't think it's a traditional movement, but since people from various fields are gathered together, I hope we can explore what we can express with our bodies. think.

Tracing Enoshima - Sensations evoked through physical experience

- Is there an overall image for this time, or is there a particular scene that you would like to highlight?

Shirakami: This project is an experience for the customers, in which they tour Enoshima and ultimately watch a performance at Samuel Cocking Garden, but instead of just going, watching, and returning home, it is a tour around Enoshima. I hope this event itself becomes a memory for everyone who was there. The performers will also be moving towards Samuel Cocking Garden, so I want their performance to remain as a ``picture'' for those who witness the scene.

Specifically, as the audience visits the shrine from the bottom to the top, they are taught a dance by the performers along the way, and in the final stage, they put together the parts of the dance and perform a Bon dance. I can do that. That's why I think it would be great if everyone could enjoy the performance by making the audience feel like they came to dance as well.

The view from the venue (Samuel Cocking Garden)

Shirakami: There are people like Mr. Nakamori and Mr. Izumi who say that Japanese culture lives in every corner of their lives and cultivates it every day. For people for whom even Japanese culture has become far removed from their lives, I wonder how much of the Japanese "movements" and sensibilities that were passed down from people of the past still remain. However, this time, the climbing road leading to Samuel Cocking Garden is the same topography that our ancestors used to climb on foot, and following the same path as the people of the past is a great way to experience that physical sensation. I thought it might be connected to this. Just as people in traditional performing arts daily follow the physical path of choreography passed down to them by their predecessors. That's why climbing the cobblestones of Enoshima is so important, and I think it's linked to the theme of this time, ``traditional performing arts.'' For that reason, I actually don't want people to ride the escar (note: escalator) (lol)

Also, there are some really interesting traditional performing arts that remain in Kanagawa Prefecture, so be sure to check them out as well.

Izumi: Everything in Japan has been completely cut off, from its lifestyle to its culture. However, Noh, Japanese dance, and performing arts that have been passed down to local communities have been nurtured through direct transmission from parents and seniors in the local community. If this were to stop, we might be able to preserve it through video, but we wouldn't be able to receive it 100%. Therefore, the fact that something is being passed down from person to person is a precious thing, and I hope that those who are involved in it are also proud.

As Mr. Shirakami said, the island of Enoshima has a long history of being home to shrines that are visited and loved by people. First of all, there is a meaning in the fact that Enoshima has always been here, and I think that there is something to be felt by tracing this path.

Nakamori: By walking, you can feel that people in the past walked here in the same way and saw the same scenery.

- By the way, is there a set course or schedule for this event?

Shirakami: We don't have any particular time restrictions, so we want you to visit at your own pace.

For example, when people see the Sasara Odori performers in matching yukata, they may think, ``Ah, I wonder if there's anything going on today?'' The performers blend in with the scenery of Enoshima. I hope people can see it as part of the scenery.

- I hope everyone can experience Enoshima in its own colorful way for just one day. Now, I would like to conclude by asking each of you for a comment.

Shirakami: Through being involved in this project, I learned about traditional performing arts that I had no idea about, and I actually visited the practice halls and other places, and learned that so many traditional performing arts still remain in people's lives in Kanagawa Prefecture, and that parents and children learned about them. , I was able to see the message being passed on to young people, and I wanted my customers to have the same experience that surprised me. Also, since it is set in Enoshima, I think some people will come and experience things they would normally not be able to see without going to the theater, just for leisure. I hope that these experiences will be a good opportunity for people to learn about traditional performing arts.

Nakamori: I hope this will be a good opportunity to get people interested in their country's classical culture. Also, on an individual level, we don't have any horizontal connections, and as we used this opportunity to meet people like Shirakami-san and Izumi-san, by continuing to do this several times, we have formed various communities. I think it will continue to expand and create more and more possibilities. I hope that this event will serve as a catalyst for such a movement to spread nationwide.

Izumi: I also have high hopes for the kind of horizontal connections that Mr. Nakamori just mentioned, and the stimulation that comes back to individuals through the involvement of multiple genres, and I hope that this becomes a project that can develop in the future. I think so. I also think that Kanagawa Prefecture will become a more enjoyable region if more and more customers can see this kind of project that introduces various cultural assets. I would like to make this Enoshima event a fun one as well.

- My biggest worry is the weather, but we are blessed with clear skies and I am looking forward to seeing how Enoshima will be colored.

The following events have ended.

< overview >
Kanagawa Re-Classical Project 2014 Enoshima Enoshima Maude Dance Dance

October 4th (Saturday) Doors open 16:00, Performance starts 16:30 (Scheduled to end at 18:00)
Free viewing

*However, Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden entrance fee (200 yen for adults, 100 yen for children) is required separately.
*If the event is canceled due to inclement weather, a rainy day program will be held at the Kanagawa Women's Center on the following day, the 5th (doors open at 1:30 p.m., performance starts at 2:00 p.m.).