IndepenDANCE Japan Tour'99 Spring (first tour)
               from 5th.May,to 11th.June,1999
 
K-Ballet IndepenDANCE Japan tour'99 Spring (act 1)

 In Japan,K‐Ballet Company which was formed by Tetsuya
Kumakawa and other male dancers who left Royal Ballet,performed
their first performances "IndepenDANCE Japan tour'99 Spring".
(that has started at 5 May and continued until 11 June)
They performed 20times"the Stages"at 15 places in Japan.
And I saw that stage at Yokosuka(5/5),Tokyo(5/8,9),Kanazawa
(6/5)and Toyama(6/7).This is the review that I felt to see 
the K-Ballet.There might be gaps between the words and the 
stage itself and if I use a "word" carefully,the meanings of the 
word(backgrounds)might be a little different from which Kumakawa 
and the members mentioned or the readers imagine.Though I tried 
to make my best efforts to tell the stage for the people who 
couldn't see, but who could "imagine" the stage through a flow 
of my limited words.  

ACT 1
≪La Vida(Farandole)≫
  In the darkness,the sound of steps and handclaps like Spanish
dance could be heard.Then we could see the silhouette of 
Kumakawa on the middle of screen.He posed a little bit like a 
flamenco dancer but soon controlled himself to a"Ballet dancer".
Stopped the sound of steps,then the screen has just opened at 
the same time with the turn of his jump.Behind him,the twelve 
female dancers were lined in the black chic dresses and Kumakawa 
himself dressed in a Wine−Red coloured shirts and black tights,
straightened his hands together to the audiences and gave the sharp
 looking which was never shirked.Of course,all the members,involved 
the audiences,had a tension on the first day.But gradually the 
members and the audiences came to be One.With the music of Bizet
〔'L'Arlesienne Suite No.2〕,they danced passionately and sharply,and 
we could have felt the opening of this performance as the opening 
of brandnew "K−BALLET COMPANY".

≪Pieces of Eight≫
  This performance had played in"the Made in London'98",the last 
year's performance by Tetsuya Kumakawa.It was choreographed by 
William Tuckett and used the music of Simon Jeffes(Music for Found 
Harmonium Paul's Dance Organum:Editions Penguin Cafe).
This performance was very popular at the Last Year's stage in Japan
(performed by Kumakawa and Mara Galeazzi)and this time was played by
 Anna Tetlow or Yukako Sakakibara ,Matthew Dibble,William Trevitt and 
Michael Nunn.(Last year it was so sorry that Nunn injured his toe 
and he couldn't dance till the end of the tour.Fortunately,this time 
he could dance every places!)Matthew played the role like a teenager
 innocent boy,and managed an unseen ball.Then Anna(or Yukako)
appeared in front of him like his sweetheart before falling love.
William and Nunn looked like Matthew's old brothers  or senior rivals 
appeared from their back and they danced together very "joyfully",
competed with their jumping and dancing abilities step by step.
 The choreograph was almost same,but the casting and their fashion
were different from last year's,so the stage itself had rather different
impression. 
 Anna were so cheerful that some people said something like American 
impression rather than British.Surely she had a cute,cheerful,healthy,
but how come I didn't know her dance had a little bit heavy
impression in Tokyo.(It's one opinion and image,of course,it didn't 
always mean that her dance was not well.)In Toyama she played very
good partnerships with Matthew and I could feel "the pure story" from
their dance more naturally!
 Yukako performed the girl's role very refreshingly like a early summer 
wind or small white(cabbage butterfly)and I thought Matthew would like 
to catch the girl's heart innocently like to catch a wind or butterfly. 
Anna and Yukako gave me a different impression,but I felt they'd like 
to lead Matthew to "the pure love story" of early days.  
 But last year,when Kumakawa and Galeazzi performed,there might be 
more "pureness" and "transparency".They(Kumakawa and Galeazzi)looked 
like to be dancing on wide green grasslands or golden wheat fields.
The stage itself was just a picture.Though there hadn't been any sets,
only the black and blue screen,their white cotton costumes and a golden
lighting.
 Maybe the concept itself wasn't changed.Matthew and Anna danced 
their dance,and also Yukako danced her dance,so I thought the 
audiences might be able to picture to themselves the various coloured
"pure love story" in each other's hearts.


≪The Vary People≫
 This performance was choreographed by Simon Rice and partly be 
altered by Kumakawa as a new style.It was so interesting that we could
have fun to see.From a"closet",the various people appeared and showed
themselves.
 For example,Gary and Stuart performed comically wearing Elizabeth collared
clothes and using a handkerchief as if they were padding something.Gary 
shut the door of the closet not being aware of the figure of Stuart.  
 Next,Matthew,Stuart and Gary appeared from the "closet",wearing a 
black tie on their white shirts,black hats on their heads,and taking a 
walking stick each other.They hung hats and sticks on the hat hanger,
then on the music of Bach,slowly they lay down on the floor on their
back.They picked their upper part of body up and down.Then suddenly 
the pace of movement came to be fast,quickly they picked themselves 
standing up and laying down as fast as possible.It's a little funny but the
movement itself seemed to have some rhythm like a scale of Bach.There 
were a lift of Matthew lifted by Stuart and Gary,and that was balanced 
very well.As the music was low down,they returned to the"closet"one after
another and disappeared.
 Then six cocks(male birds)appeared.They were wearing the mask of beak 
of Birds. They amused us by playing funny and comically.(Personally I'd been
eager to see the dance that used a"mask",so I could more enjoy seeing.)
 We could have fun comfortably this part because of the comical movements
of their characters,sometimes being surprised at their "flying turn",which
were of course smoothly and completely harmonized.  
  And moreover,wearing goggles and scarves like early pilots,Kumakawa,
Trevitt,Nunn appeared.They reminded me of the people who had a dream 
to fly to the future,not only the true pilots like Wright bothers,Charles 
Augustus Lindbergh,Saint‐Exup'ery(the author of Le Petit Prince,Vol de Nuit)
etc.,but also the people who had the"Hope"that dreams come true.
 They were dancing and "flying" on the stage,spread their hands like planes'
wings and there were also some lifts.Used the clear blue lighting and smokes 
at last,"the space"was so expanded that we could imagine a free feeling of
"flying" to the future.
 At last,the five members were appeared but we couldn't see the figure
of"Teddy"(=Kumakawa).After a moment the back screen was raised and
"Teddy"riding the Red tricycle which had "the mark of Ferrari" passed away 
like a fastest wind.(Of course,the moment the very comfortable atmosphere
filled with the hall!)

BACK