ENGI-MON
The concept of “ENGI-MON” is to incorporate Japanese traditional dance, called “Bon-dance” into the public art performance. It has been believed in Japan that each year during “Bon”, the ancestors’ spirits return to this world, to visit their relatives.
“Bon-dance” is still widely performed by every generation during this event in a variety of forms. For this project, we interpret “Bon-dance” as a way of communication, and recreate it more contemporary and borderless, so that everyone who joins our “Bon-dance” can experience the Japanese tradition through body, and also be connected with each other.
Our new interpretation of “Bon-dance”, which is titled “ENGI-MON”, is a parade style performance piece featuring the collective of musicians, Junmakidou, who revives a Japan’s old style marching performance “Chindon”, the original costume characters of Bodhidharma which is traditionally loved by Japanese as a talisman, and Butoh dancer Dai Matsuoka and contemporary ballet dancer Sato Oikawa.
“ENGI-MON” invites the local people to be part of the piece, and some parts of choreography is made on site in a way that the local people can join easily and feel intimate with the movements.
We would like to bring this project to PQ and share it in a open environment with as many local people as possible, so that people can get a sense of how Japanese people have commemorated ancestors’ spirits through the performing arts, and how it can be related with the history and culture of Prague.
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◼Tour schedule
● Pre performance : 21 September 2018, SUN TO MOON Kakitagawa, Shizuoka, Japan
● 2019 Czech Republic tour schedule
30 May, ENGI-MON performance, KREDANCE, Ceske Budejovice
3-4 June, Work Shop, Charles University, Prague
6 June, Nine Bells for 2 person, Industra, Brno
9-10, ENGI-MON performance, Site Specific Performance Festival in Prague Quadrennial 2019, Prague Collaborating Partner for the performance at Prague Quadrennial: Department of Art Education Faculty of Education Charles University
Cast & Crew
Jun-Maki-Dou : Chindon performance
Aya Suzuki : Percussion
Dai Matsuoka : Dancer
Sato Oikawa : Dancer
Takemi Aoki : Mascot performer
Kennosuke Sagawa : Mascot performer
Chiaki Nishikawa : Costume
Sano Yukashi, Hato : Character design
Hideaki Ikemori : Technical manager
Chiye Namegai : Photo
Takuya Isomura : Movie
Maki Sumi, Satoko Tsujimura : Production
Takafumi Sakiyama : Overseas project manager
Dai Matsuoka : Director
Daijiro Kawakami : Producer
Sponsored by : Scale Laboratory
Partnered with
KREDANCE,
Industra,
Prague Quadrennial 2019,
Department of Art Education,
Charles University,
Faculty of Education,
Embassy of the Czech Republic,
Shizuoka Prefecture,
