"TOUCH"
*Information at the time of adoption.
- Name of the organization or individual
- Co. Ruri Mito
- subsidy category
- Creation Grant
- Grant Type
- long-term
Reiwa 3(2021) Creation Grant Category II. Long-term Grant
Business Overview
The dance company Co. Ruri Mito, which is led by Ruri Mito, develops the physicality and the world view of the work that has been cultivated up to now, and with the aim of creating a work with a higher degree of perfection, they spend a sufficient amount of time researching and preparing, and invite various guests and artists from outside to deepen the theme of "touch" through collaborative work. By doing so, they aim to present works that move the sensibilities of the audience beyond the framework of traditional dance works. "I feel that the dance field in particular is stagnant in Japan. At one point, there was a boom in contemporary dance that came from the West, and in recent years, contemporary dance has gained recognition through the performance of actors and actresses. However, I believe that art, the body, and contemporary dance do not fit within the framework. I aim to create works that people can "feel" rather than "see" by showing the experiences and sensations they get while living, the sensory parts that people can touch in their daily lives, and the emotional things in front of people. I believe that by leaving enough space to enrich people's cells and to think rather than to communicate, each person can exist as he or she is, and by emphasizing the unique physicality that each person has, we can reach the uniqueness and individuality of the body. From body to body. from the body of the performer to the body of the viewer. Can you experience the feeling of the body, the fun of the body, the sensations you have, and the awareness of them? We, who are individuals and live in a group, can relate to others at what kind of distance and maintain a comfortable distance. From the joy of cells brought by touching people, the fear of touching people, and the inquiring mind to check what is necessary and what is not, we aim to experience things that we cannot do alone. I want to share the feeling of cells and body opening. I believe that sharing the feeling of this cell opening will enrich people." – Ruri Mitoh – [Outline of the 1st year project] (1) Research (Creation) Content: The creation members and artists of this project held many online meetings and research, and gathered ideas and made prototypes in order to deepen the theme and realize it. On February 27, 2022, the dancers of Co. Ruri Mito held a meeting to report the results (including a demonstration) for those involved.Based on the results, we are considering and preparing how to develop the theme of touching in the second year and beyond. Date: October 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022 Venue: Public facilities in Setagaya Ward (Setagaya Ward, Tokyo), Morishita Studio (Koto Ward, Tokyo), Sumida Park Gallery Sasaya (Sumida Ward, Tokyo) (2) Work in Progress Performance "TOUCH – TOURUCH- # 1" Content: The dance company Co. Ruri Mito, led by Ruri Mitsuto, has continued and developed the theme of "TOUCH – TOURUCH-" for three years, with the aim of creating and disseminating works that combine dance performances and various experiential installations. The theme of the first year is "Wind." Focusing on the phenomenon of "wind" which cannot be directly touched, "touch" was delved. From outside, Mirai Moriyama (actor and dancer), Shintaro Oue (dancer), FUJIIIIIIIIIIITA (musician), Yu Nishiki (curator), YANTOR (costumer), ULTRASTUDIO (architect) and Yann Becker (illuminator) were invited to collaborate with Co. Ruri Mito. In 2022, when "touching" became more and more ambiguous, it was shown 5 times in total at Sumida Park Gallery Sasaya (Sumida Ward) as an audience experience-type work lasting 6 hours, exceeding the time frame of traditional dance performances. Date: Friday, February 11, 2022 to 15th (Tue) Venue: Sumida Park Gallery Sasaya (Sumida-ku, Tokyo) [Outline of the second year project] (1) Research (creation) and results debriefing session (open rehearsal) Contents: TOUCH In order to continue and develop the theme of "touch" for three years, the theme of the second year was "time," and research (creation) to deepen the theme was the main activity. They held auditions to recruit new members, and explored the possibility of new members joining while looking at their compatibility with the company dancers through the investigation (creation) period. In addition, photos and videos recorded during the survey (creation) were actively used to strengthen public relations and advertising activities. The company made efforts to strengthen profitability other than admission fees by producing and distributing videos of the first year's performance. As a summary of the project in the second year, on May 14, 2023, we held an open rehearsal for about 90 minutes at the Morishita Studio as a meeting to report on the results. Date: July 1, 2022 - May 14, 2023 Venue: Morishita Studio (Koto-ku, Tokyo) [Outline of 3rd year project] (1) Investigation (creation), Open rehearsal, Tokyo performance, Report made Content: The 3rd year project started intensive training in July 2023 with the keyword "gradation". Without relying on performers from outside, a total of seven members, including company members and research members, deepened the theme of "touching" within a time frame not seen in traditional dance performances, and aimed to create a work in which each person involved in the project, including the audience, could gain something. Created with a focus on unison by seven dancers, an open rehearsal was held at Morishita Studio at the end of August. Special workshops by Shintaro Oue were held for the performers from November to January. Since February 2024, 4 public rehearsals have been held at Morishita Studio. On March 5, 2024, they entered the theater tram and prepared for the performance. On Friday, March 8, we performed two parts of 'gloss' and 'rhyme' for four hours. On the 9th (Sat.) and the 10 (Sun.) there were 2 performances of 6 hours in total, with 2 hours for each section of “gloss, ”“ rhyme, ” and “figure. ”. After the performance, seven performers contributed articles on the themes of "dancing" and "touching." In mid-April, Santo and two experts held a closed-door conversation. In addition, we asked former members who left the organization for employment or higher education to contribute, as well as external participants who were involved in the activities of Co. Ruri Mito. These were compiled into a 20 page booklet entitled "Co. Ruri Mito: Looking back on the past and the next 2017 to 2024 years". As a conclusion of this project, it was released on the official website of Co. Ruri Mito on Saturday, June 1. Date: July 18, 2023 - June 1, 2024 Venue: Morishita Studio (Koto-ku, Tokyo), Theater Tram (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo)
- Period of Activity / Project
- Venues
Profile
[Co. Ruri Mito]
Dance company led by internationally active choreographer and dancer Ruri Santo. Its activities are always based on the concept of "starting from the body". Since its establishment in 2017, it has been aiming to create high-quality works over time while deeply exploring the characteristics of individual bodies.
* Information such as the project outline is provided by organizations and individuals providing subsidies.