With the passing of its director and the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, 2020 has been an extremely tough year for members of the Asia meets Asia (AMA) theatrical project. Although hit by an unprecedented blow, they have taken a step forward with their latest work "Aruku 2020," which is set to be livestreamed on Sunday.
"The pandemic has forced many people to refrain from going out and to spend days without being able to walk around freely. 'Aruku' [the Japanese word for walking] features the primordial movement of walking, so taking up this production now has particular significance," AMA dancer Takumi Harada told The Japan News recently.
"Aruku" is a representative work of Hiroshi Ohashi, the founder and director of AMA, who died of cancer in May this year. It has been revised and performed over and over since it was first performed in 1997.
"Many of us in AMA have worked with this production, absorbing its essence. So naturally, it makes it easier for us to share our feelings and exchange views in the process of working remotely on the rendering," said Harada, who succeeded Ohashi as director.
"Having lost our pillar, I feel like we're all desperately trying to hold up the roof of the house," he said by email.
Since AMA's establishment in 1997, Ohashi had invited dancers, actors, poets and others who perform on stages and streets from over 20 cities across Asia to AMA's productions. He also put on shows outside Japan with them. The bonds built through such collaborations over the years remain tight among the remaining members.
"When we were so lost, trying to figure out our future prospects, overseas members gave us positive and concrete ideas about fundraising and making our activities more known in order to keep AMA going," Harada recalled. "With their encouragement, I'm now pretty certain we're ready to move forward little by little."
Members in China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Tibet and Vietnam have prepared visual and written materials to be incorporated into Sunday's show, while some are expected to make virtual appearances in the production during the livestreaming.
AMA productions are described as a performing art using physical expressions that go beyond words. For performers who are striving to create the production, rehearsing alone is already a challenge under the current situation.
"While being careful about keeping social distance from one another, we're also trying to find ways not to limit our expressions," said Harada.
The road ahead may not be easy, but Akihiro Nakajima, a core performer of AMA's productions, remains positive. "Step by step, if we move forward even for a little, I believe there's still hope."
Will theaters ever draw a full house like before the pandemic? No one can answer that.
"It is important to know and accept that there are things you don't understand," Ohashi once said.
His words linger -- with a rather soothing effect -- in a time like this.
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The 40-minute performance is scheduled to be livestreamed via YouTube at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 and later saved on their archive. For more information, visit note.com/asia_meets_asia
Viewers can choose to make donations to the project. The four amount options given are 100, yen 500, yen 1,000 yen or an amount of their choosing.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
