Performing Arts During the Pandemic ~ Transmission and Reception
Dear Yuko-san,
When the third State of Emergency was declared, I had the opportunity to reexamine my own career. I would like to share in this letter my own thoughts on how the Covid-19 pandemic could someday be seen as an opportunity to build the mentality for me to create pieces that shake up the soul.
I am truly grateful to have known you. I first met you at Ms. Shigeka Hanayagi’s studio in Senzoku. I have enjoyed our conversations; in recent years we have collaborated in creating a performance for an event at the Belgian Embassy. I have heard that your roots of your dance career go back to Ms. Hanayagi’s performance of Genya. I originally became interested in the performing arts when I saw Nakamura Utaemon VI’s performances on stage. Every step, every movement of Mr. Utaemon seemed as if they were born from prayers. It was so mesmerizing and I felt very sacred. Some people say that “Kabuki is an art form to go and watch the actors”, and Mr. Utaemon’s performance literally embodied this idea.
A while back, there used to be a Western style deli near Roppongi crossing called Eurasian Delicatessen. Ms. Han Takehara used to visit there as she was a local. This deli’s specialties such as chicken roast, beet salad (which was still rare back then), cheesecake, bavarois were particularly delicious, and I used to be sent to go shopping there since I was young, every December. One day when I was shopping there, the owner of Eurasian said, “After Kanzaburo has died, I don’t watch Kabuki anymore”. I was a college student then, and thought “I wonder why?”, but later, when Mr. Utaemon passed away, I was reminded of what she said. And today, in 2021, I have been contemplating about the distance between the audience and performer, and about “delivering” and “receiving”.
What was the essence of the art form, which Nakamura Kanzaburo XVII possessed, and made the owner of Eurasia say the above words? Now might be a good time to think again about the performance of the old days, examine their greatness, and untangle them across generations. No matter how amazing a performance is, it has no value unless the audience is receptive enough. In that sense, the owner of Eurasian had a sharp, decent sense of artistry. I believe that the true artist should sharpen their senses of receiving and delivering, and continue to improve themselves, listening to their conscience, and working through their mission.
In the post-Covid world which will come someday, what do I want to deliver to the world through my work? Nakamura Utaemon VI received his name as Utaemon in Kabukiza Theater, after surviving World War Two. It was a sign that Utaemon’s art is a symbol of peace and richness. I personally hope I can keep working, with the superstar Mr. Utaemon in mind, and regardless of scale, continue to create pieces that can create a sacred barrier in space, and bring about peace and happiness. As our master, Ms. Shigeka Hanayagi said, “Creation is about waste, adventure, and challenge. Without challenge, there is no creation”.
Mitsuru Tamatsuka
Producer/Director
Dear Tamatsuka-san,
Thank you for your letter.
I had always felt that the events that you plan and produce are always fresh, yet have a classical taste, so hearing that the roots of your artistic activity are in Utaemon’s stage, I now understand why. “A picture is worth a thousand words” indeed applies to theater as well.
The shock I felt when I first saw Genya, choreographed by Shigeka Sensei is something I still cannot forget even after a quarter of a century has passed. The music was performed by four flutes only, with no lyrics. Costumes and sets were very simple. The thorough subtraction of unnecessary things left plenty of room and resonance – and despite Nihon Buyou being the exact opposite of extravagant Kabuki dance, which is the roots of Nihon Buyou, I felt a heavy weight that applied to a classic piece and a commonality in the theme which did not depend on region or generation. It was choreography of the Showa period but a piece that will remain until the Heisei and Reiwa eras.
From what I think, Shigeka Sensei’s piece is based on the classical pieces she danced plenty of when she was young, and was born by sensing the atmosphere of her era she lived through, as a dancer. Sensei mentioned, “There is no point in creating if you are happy with the current condition”. In her life, she created ideal dance pieces (delivered) and strictly, boldly examined the connection between the era and society (received).
I hope I can polish my senses to deliver and receive, and continue to sharpen my skills. And I hope to pass on the beauty of the pieces that have been passed on from past generations, and create a timeless piece like Genya someday.
Yuko Nishikawa