Butoh dancer Goro Namerikawa, an ex-member of the Sankaijuku, and his troupe Art Amorphus will be holding a collaborative dance performance titled "Liminality" with Christophe Charles, a French composer and musician who has performed extensively in Japan and internationally. The event will take place May 1-4 at Ohya Shiryokan in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture.
Namerikawa defines "Liminality" as being the turning point of a particular age in which major changes are likely to occur, in terms of one's own concepts and values within society. As we come closer to the turn of the century, with the introduction of the borderless economy, unification of currencies and the invention of the cloning process, one is forced to make adjustments and create new values along with the changing times.
It is in this context that the venue, a stone quarry which has now become an industrial ruin and a relic of the period of economic advancement in Japan, symbolizes the concept of the turning point of the century. Namerikawa wishes to express the existence of the microcosmos, the importance of the individual physical self which experiences the shift in society.
Dance workshop
Goro Namerikawa holds workshops for dancers and nondancers on Monday evenings (dates are fixed) at Vision Network in Omotesando. Those interested in participating, either regularly or just once, should contact (028) 652-5434 by fax and leave a phone or fax number. Instructions are in two languages.
Namerikawa has held workshops in Belgium, England, France, Canada and the United States.