The dance work “STUMP PUMP TOKYO” uses 100 cardboard boxes in the theater space to portray the ferocity of natural disasters and the human strength to recover from them. The piece is choreographed, composed and directed by DANCE PJ REVO leader Koichiro Tamura, and performed by eight dancers – Ayane Nakagawa, Sato Yamada, Haruka Takeuchi, Koki Hata, Yuka Hirata, Reina Miwa, Fu Yoshizawa, and Koichiro Tamura. Sound was by Takashi Aikawa, lighting by Taichi Kutsumi, and stage direction by Susumu Kumaki. This is a reworking and revival of “STUMP PUMP,” first performed in 2019 at DANCE BOX in Kobe. In September that year, a large typhoon hit the Japanese archipelago, principally the Kinki region. It was a life-and-death situation for the mountainous Kurama area of Kyoto where the road was blocked with numerous fallen trees. As a way of expressing hope for Kurama’s reconstruction, the troupe used the theme of fallen trees in the pursuit of its body-based artistry. This stage work carried a message of the importance that people who see the work deepen their understanding of disasters, coexist with nature, and keep strong in life.
DANCE PJ REVO
Dance company DANCE PJ REVO spearheaded by choreographer/dancer Koichiro Tamura presents an experimental form of dance blending contemporary and hip hop dance. Inspired by contemporary art, Tamura creates stage pieces by exploring a variety of elements such as the differences and similarities between the physical substance of objects and the human body, their subordinate relationships and composition, and the possibilities for dance which they generate. Tamura’s performances, which mirror the “labor” of Japan’s workforce, have a physical force that confronts society, providing thrills and empathy that transcend the dance genre. Tamura engages in a variety of other activities such as giving lectures and organizing workshops while championing free and revolutionary values.
Koichiro Tamura
Producer
DANCE PJ REVO
dance.project.revo@gmail.com
Kichijyoji Theater