#01 NOW (English)

It has been 12 years since I moved to the New York City in 2009 to pursue artist career. This year, I am working on several projects, including performance "joe" (premieres at JACCC, Los Angeles), "Good Bye" (premieres at JACK, Brooklyn), a performance workshop "PLAYGROUND", a poster design project "STAY HOME POSTURES", an installation with post-it-notes "FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION", live streaming on Facebook, and video creation. Art-making has been affected significantly by the COVID-19 outbreak, but it has been a great opportunity to think deeper.

So many things happened in the past 12 years since my move to the U.S. and I am still digesting. In the field of contemporary art, which is not easy to define, I have performed in the other artists' works, created my own works, applied for grants and residency programs, and taught dance workshops around the world. Last year, I have relocated myself to Los Angeles, have attended the MFA program at California Institute of the Arts, and also launched my production company "kotorimomo" that works in video and collaborates in other fields.  

This year, we have been challenged by the pandemic of the virus, and performing arts have been shaken, same as everything else. Performing arts requires the total integration of details on stage - especially dance is an art form that has developed with the physical contacts with others. Its unique creation process and the relationship with the audience have to be re-identified now. However, those challenges are not new. Even before the COVID-19, many artists have been questioning - In the time of iPhone and Youtube, and the entertainment has been taken to online, the production and consumption speed has accelerated even more. How can performing arts function? How can artists live on and keep creating? - I also have been tackling those tough questions through practices. 

Here are my thoughts, as we go into the 2020/2021.

Is art urgent?

I used to think that art is not urgent. Especially with the danger of COVID-19, people, first of all, need food, medicine, other industries, as well as some entertainment. I thought the experimental art, which I do, was least needed. But when I create works, I believe that they are tied directly to our lives, societies, and values.  Because they are created through the deep observation of people and society. So I started to question the idea that my works are not urgent. Probably they have much more potential and meaning. And it will be myself who has to explain that. I try to speak via social media such as this note and Facebook, as well as my in-person communication and performances.

Diversify the contact points

How many people get to watch my work after all? The communities of performing arts are relatively small, and even if the artists spent so much time, money, and labor, it could be that only a few audiences get to watch the work. Performance can usually be presented when the venue, work, performers, and crews are gathered at one place, at the same time. That means that unless you have enough budget to tour to many places, you will have a hard time to have many audience. In order to tour, you have to have a mobility of the work. Maybe you might want to keep simple the work (number of performers, parameter of set design, etc). Or you might have to give up touring or even presenting multiple times. Having many audience is always a challenge.

Every time I go back to Japan, I see many office workers in trains. Could I or my works have contact with those people, who live in different communities? But there could be contact points - They might like visiting museums on weekends. If they have kids, they may be using after-school activities. They might want physical exercises to keep in shape. Maybe we both might be school alumni. Well, dancers are quite knowledgeable in working out, as well as teaching dance to kids and adults. Thus, looking for communication to diversify contact points will be very important to increase future audience and interest of performing arts. And that is artists, who can initiate the communication.

Today it is quite easy to create and publish videos. With visualization, it will be possible to access more audience. But performing arts is naturally a unique form where the performers and the audience can literally co-exist in a same space, which is very different from video. But still, video is a strong tool that can access the larger audience, and we have seen performing arts' videos that have boldness and authenticity, not only a documenting tool.

Strengthen longer works

As well as diversifying the contact points, pursuing quality works is most necessary. Under this pandemic, many people have created unique platforms for others, and choreographers have also expanded their fields in different ways. Of course it is important to practice new ideas, but I also believe that quality of work is essentially the most important thing to keep. What is my expertise? What is it that only I can do? When I think about it, I get to the answer that choreographic work is my ultimate mission. It has been choreography that I committed to for years in the U.S. and other places, and many people have supported it. So I want to contribute by creating quality works. 

Many of my stage works since my move to the U.S. in 2009 had been 10-20 minute long. That is usually due to the show requirement that I used to apply for. But when presenters curate works, we have to submit 1-2 hour long (or longer) works, and I have found out I prefer creating longer works. I am also a film lover, so it makes sense that I am interested in pursuing the 1-2 hour long parameter as a way to take audiences out to another world. 

You cannot create a long work right away. Through processing casting, structuring, showing development, and selecting and getting rid of things so many times for months and years, you can complete a work. "Good Bye", my solo work based on my experience as an Asian straight male in NYC, is my first evening-length work. My current project "joe" is the second evening-length work in Los Angeles. As well as pushing stage works, I am also creating video works with long duration. 

About money

This is the most tricky thing. Artists have to live on. And if possible, they want to live on by creating their own works, not by other jobs. I am thinking all the time about how the creation can function in our society, as well as how the work can be selected. Commissioning by theaters, dance companies, and schools, getting awards and grants, teaching dance, choreographing for visual works can be choreographer's financial source. I spent so much time of my 11 years in NYC to get those gigs. But the tricky thing is that trying to get those jobs is not equal to pursuing quality works. Also I have to get rid of make-money-mind when trying new ideas. With this situations, the phrase "I have never worked for money" is supporting me so much. Many artists have said this including a notable Japanese comedian Ken Shimura and a cartoonist Osamu Tezuka. This does not mean that we do not have to make money. I take this phrase as a determination that "I pursue my career no matter how hard it is", as acknowledging the difficult relationship between the practice and money. And beyond anything, the experience in NYC is giving me a strong mentality.

Continue creating works, no matter what. And it will ultimately create artists' lives possible. As discussed above, looking for contact points with other communities, pursuing quality works, and putting into words what we are doing - those things will make a way.