Dance Triennale Tokyo 2012

The head nods, the upper body collapses, then gazes up into the air. Okinawan ginta music plays. Movements which build into something which resembles like nothing so much as spinning soon become the departure point of a movement which fills the stage — formations by a well-trained ensemble, “Dramatic Volume”, not through any dance-like movements, but rather dance itself. In the solo by Maki Tabata, poses are achieved with a maximum economy. Like a cube sugar melting consistently, the perpetual melody of her body repeats vague poses and slowly crumbles, it fascinates, leaving the audience only hungry for more. (Shigeto Nuki, Dance Critic)

Maki Tabata started learning ballet at the age of three, but by the time she reached high school she began having doubts about dancing in toe shoes, and entered Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music to search for other possibilities for expression. After many twists and turns, she finally began her career as a dancer, and toured throughout Japan with many different choreographers before starting making her own works in 2007. She received dual prizes in 2009, at the Yokohama Dance Collection R : the ‘Yokohama Prize for Brilliant Future’ and the ‘MASDANZA Prize’; and in the following year was selected as a finalist of the Toyota Choreography Award. She has toured not only in Japan but also in Spain, Holland, South Korea, Singapore, Berlin and Poland. Now with her own company Co.TABA-MAKI, she works extensively as choreographer on an international basis.
www.tabamaki.com

Choreography : Maki Tabata

Dancers : Mariko Kasuya, Ippei Shintaku, Maki Tabata

Music : degi
Lighting Design : Takehiko Maruyama

Costumes : Takeshi Nakamoto, Junko Takase