Saturday, November 30, 2013

Avant Garde Ballet: Yuki Onna

Yuki Onna (雪女)


Choreographing a modern adaptation of an old Japanese folktale...

Urban opening, people packed on trains, cell phones.
Traveller with rucksack. Red screen, robed red wraiths.
Taiko drums, click, smack of drumsticks.
Chinese ribbon dance, a shishi lion writhes on stage.
Yuki Onna enters in white, threatens with ice knife.
Ayatori string game, ohajiki with rubber marbles.
Chorus, shakuhachi, techno music changes to piano.
Japanese folk music, rice planting, happi coats.
Baby arrives, father dances, sounds of winter wind.
Red wraiths reappear in force, drag him away.
Yuki Onna restrains them, she has the agony of dilemma.
She leaves the baby with the travelling man and disappears.

_________
Voice-over
Directors:
Rio Mitani and Christian Martinu
ECLECTIC.
Great performance!
...

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