From Kayvon Pourazar: This was such a short trip, but I don’t know if it could be possible to be immersed into such a deep aspect of Japanese culture as a visitor in such a short amount of time any more than we did. I never imagined that the work that I do as a dancer could bring about the opportunity for such vast doors to be opened. It is a huge privelege to have experienced this trip to Japan.
From Julie Alexander: Studying with Masumi Sensei was incredible. The Nezu school where we trained the first day is so quiet, clean and beautiful and there is such a tone of reverence in that space that Masumi Sensei governs with quiet authority. We gave her our gifts. We were so careful to enter the room on our knees, respectfully, and to offer our gifts to her. She seemed very excited to have us there. The training was intense. We each worked with her one on one while the other watched. She was so conscious of our bodies, being sure we were okay sitting on our knees the whole time. She was so detailed when she was training us, but quite different than our experience with Kayo Sensei in Florida. With Kayo Sensei, we focused on the form and technique and we were able to communicate the visual information through our bodies. Masumi Sensei also focused on form, of course, but we definitely relied on Yasuko to translate for us as well, because Masumi Sensei really wanted us to understand the stories, history and tradition in these dances. During rehearsal, she brought out traditional incense smelling set so we could see the objects and the tradition that are referenced in one of the dances that Kayvon does. She took such care in wrapping and unwrapping the objects and explaining exactly how they are used – not just functionally, but there is an art and a physical form involved in the delicate act.
This attention to detail that we’ve been honing in on in studying this traditional Japanese dance form is so much a part of Japanese culture from what I experienced first-hand in Tokyo – from the architecture and the food to the paper-wrapped chopsticks and the efficient subway chart (which I was particularly impressed by).
Through the studio showings, we learned that it is customary in Japan for audience or friends to bring food for the performers. We were showered with food… pastries and rice crackers and lotus root and this delicious potato with a wonderful texture. And we learned the usefulness of the phrase- “otsukaresama.” It’s hard to translate in English. But from what I understand, means something like “good job” or “you must be tired” or any time there is some sort of effort involved or even answering the telephone.
The US tour of Beautiful Me was a great experience for me and the musicians in that since 2007 we have been performing the work to mostly European audiences with a very small black audience representation. The US tour allowed the work to reach a more diverse audience that questioned, discussed and became curious not only of the continent of Africa but also of the African aesthetic that is cross-cultural in the work.This curiousness helped me to further understand the idea of displacement as Africans living in other parts of the world. This displacement connects us as Africans in these countries as we are longing for some representation and reflection of a place we call home. And when we reflect we become critical of ourselves, of our leadership and cultural givens and perceptions. Hence the after talks were a critical point of the performances as they allowed the audience to understand something that is even deeper about the work, to understand my connections with my continent, other cultures and the world.
We received, everywhere we went, a human gesture of love and care.Technical teams were sensitive to the technical demands of the work and gave their time and dedication in making sure that the technical aspects of the work are of the highest standard. Theatre directors gave their time and often came more than once to witness the work. I believe we have built a following in the US and it is something that is very important for us as a company to know that people are talking still about the work. I still receive e-mails from people who came to see the work, talking of their fulfilling experience.
Connecting with students at Bates and other places was for us also an important part of opening a window to the understanding of contemporary African dance but also a window to the possibility of embracing other cultures to inform about our history, but also to tell the present and predict the future. I value the professional handling of the tour from the time we started to the end. I thank MAPP and the Africa Consortium for believing in the work and I hope we have lived to the promise of delivering a world class performance.
I think the arts and artists are one of our most effective tools in reaching beyond and through repressive regimes, in giving hope to people… artists can bright to light in a gripping, dramatic way some of the challenges we face. You mentioned the play about women in the Congo. I remember some years ago seeing a play about women in Bosnia during the conflict there. It was so gripping. I still see the faces of those women who were pulled from their homes, separated from their husbands, often raped and left just as garbage on the side of the road. So I think that artists both individually and through their works can illustrate better than any speech I can give or any government policy we can promulgate that the spirit that lives within each of us, the right to think and dream and expand our boundaries, is not confined, no matter how hard they try, by any regime anywhere in the world. There is no way that you can deprive people from feeling those stirrings inside their soul. And artists can give voice to that. They can give shape and movement to it. And it is so important in places where people feel forgotten and marginalized and depressed and hopeless to have that glimmer that there is a better future, that there is a better way that they just have to hold onto.
We applaud the sincerity and passion which comes across so clearly in this statement. And, there are so many ways to expand on her point: that it is not just the glimmer of hope in hearts and minds that makes the arts important, but also job creation, economic opportunity, and the engagement in civic life that comes with arts participation and creation in societies under repressive regimes and, more broadly, in cultures all over the globe in which people “feel forgotten and marginalized;” and that it is not only about “outreach” and export of American culture abroad, but about creating an environment in which individuals and communities can develop sustained relationships through art and artists which leads to increased understanding– and hope– on all sides.
Steven Reker is a Brooklyn-based composer, choreographer and performer collaborating with Yasuko Yokoshi on Tyler Tyler, a new work in development premiering at Dance Theater Workshop in March 2010.
“The re-imagining and translating of Japanese kabuki songs through my experience as an American songwriter has produced a type of music that I think I have not heard before. In collaboration with the Japanese cast we found that it is not our instinct to appropriate, but rather exchange styles and concepts to make something that is unique to our identity yet refers to a different culture. The process of us learning while creating left room for spontaneity and play and invited our personalities to the work, which is something I think Yasuko is nurturing step by step. At first I was not sure how I could justly represent myself as an ‘American’ songwriter since that role felt too huge—boisterous even—but as time passes in this process, I feel that I inherently represent something uniquely American – and I am reminded about what I value in that, while embracing something foreign.”
Leaving Kinshasa, I’m renewed in my conviction that artists are critical thinkers, provocateurs and primary thought leaders possessing the skills and rigor needed to create pathways for understanding and social change. I feel a purposeful connection to what Faustin and Virginie are doing that could not have been possible without my sharing, even briefly, their life in Kisangani. I’m sobered by the challenges they face and worry about the artists and people I’ve come to know and have now left behind. At the same time, I see that even the smallest act of genuine interest can have profound impact. I understand Faustin’s art and work more profoundly. The structure, ideas, ambiance and context of his work is Congolese; the craft and imagination is the artist, Faustin.
It is also very clear to me that The Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium’s commitment to engage in this way is no small thing and it comes with responsibility. We must take the appropriate next steps to build on these trips.
Three weeks later…
In a quiet moment three weeks after my return from my visit with Faustin and Virginie, travel notes and financial reports complete, the rhythms of Kisangani waft through my senses.
The enfolding green of the forest which is embraced by two beautiful flowing rivers. The red clay of the earth that connects the people so intimately to their land. The people who are bound by community and whose daily lives are lived mostly in plain sight walking, riding bikes, and carrying food and other goods. The buildings, beautiful and sad in their detritus, oozing with a powerful sense of place a complex history and a precarious future yet to unfold. I recall the many young artists I met, the urgency of their endeavors and the sincerity of their interactions with me.
