Opto, an innovative dance project led by three Japanese dancer-choreographers, will give performances on Dec. 8 and 9 at Saitama Arts Theater in Saitama.
The project members are Rei Watanabe, Kenta Kojiri and Ema Yuasa, who are all sought after domestically and internationally. The forthcoming performances, titled "optofile_touch," will feature four works created with highly honed sensibilities. Among them is a new solo work Kojiri choreographed for Watanabe.
The three are all former members of the Netherlands Dans Theater (NDT) in the Netherlands, from the time when world-famous choreographer Jiri Kylian was the artistic director. They further developed their expressive skills at the NDT.
In 2012, Watanabe launched Opto and she has organized since the project's performances in Gunma Prefecture, where she is based. The upcoming performances will be the first Opto shows outside the prefecture.
"We've been working on dances by many great choreographers, Kylian included, and at the same time we also create our own dances," Watanabe said. "We all have different personalities and ways of thinking, but these two [Kojiri and Yuasa] are my irreplaceable partners. We can share with each other what we want to do."
The project name Opto was inspired by a foreign word meaning "light."
"Dance produces energy. I chose this name with the hope that the light produced by each of us would blend together and shine as Opto," Watanabe said.
As Kojiri and Yuasa split their time between Japan and overseas, the three decided to keep Opto a project instead of forming a group.
"NEP and BAT," newly choreographed by Kojiri, is a solo dance for Watanabe. Composer Noriko Koide wrote the music, which will be played by saxophonist Masanori Onishi.
"I choreographed this work with my own image of Rei-san [Watanabe] in mind," Kojiri said. "I found a curious article about a bat resting inside a carnivorous plant and thought, 'This is it!' She's like a small critter with a great presence."
The subject theme of "media," Yuasa's new solo work, is philosophical. "I meet many people, and then I change as if a simple shape gets polished and becomes round. Humans convey various messages through dance and the body as a medium. I want to express that with dance," Yuasa said.
The two other works will feature guest choreographers and performers. "The Other You" choreographed by Crystal Pite is a duet dance for Kojiri and Anthony Lomuljo of the Royal Swedish Ballet. Set to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," the work uses the body to express human emotions. Four dancers -- the trio and Filip Stanek -- will perform "Recall" by Vaclav Kunes.
"Our goal is to simply achieve good performances and create good pieces," Watanabe said.
"Every time [we meet], it's like we bring in backpacks full of ideas for dance, share them and create new works," Yuasa said. "Then we can produce something that can come into being. It's a precious occasion."
Advance tickets are sold out, but there will be a few tickets available at the door. Call (0570) 064-939 for details.
There will be more performances on Dec. 15 and 16, at Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater in Nagoya. Call (052) 971-5609 for information on the Nagoya shows.
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