ENDLESS BOX. HANA UMEDA

Between 12th and 19th century, when women in Japan were banned from performing on stage, a form of dance developed behind closed doors of the ozashiki arrangements, in which they sought to find freedom within limitations. Living in the oppressive context of forced sexual labour, jiumatai dancers would find their emancipatory space in imaginary worlds they conjured on a few square metres. Endless Box seeks to probe the principles of that particular Japanese dance tradition by compressing the space in question to ca 1.7 cubic metre. This is an exercise in finding opening and freedom in confinement. In a box you dance out your secrets in whisper.

The event is part of the opening’s Choreographic Programme. With more than twenty shows, the audience will be offered an opportunity to witness diverse artistic strategies and a multitude of formal takes. The programme includes works in progress, dance acts and choreographic installations, with spectacular group productions sharing space with intimate solo activities.