Director’s Program

“Be all ears (From the poem of the same title by Shuntaro Tanikawa)”

Toru Iwashita (dance) × Kazutoki Umezu (sax./cl.) Improvisation Session

Performers: Toru Iwashita, Kazutoki Umezu

Area

Takeno, Asago, Yabu

Venue

[Takeno] Works Suntopia
(former Mihara Elementary School)
[Asago] Asago Art Village
[Yabu] Shopping Town Pair

Date and Time

［Takeno］Sep.16(Mon)10:30
［Asago］Sep.21(Sat)16:30
［Yabu］Sep.23(Mon)10:30

Performance Duration

Approx. 45 minutes

Performance Language

Non-verbal
(Post-talk in Japanese only)

Admission Fee

Free (No Reservation Required)

“Hello, I’m Shuntaro Tanikawa. To Mr. Iwashita: Please feel free to use ‘Be all ears’.”

In 1989, Toru Iwashita received this vibrant and positive voicemail, which sounded as if Tanikawa were giving a reading. Ever since, he has been using Mr.Tanikawa’s poem title to present silent, improvised solo dances in non-theater spaces and the outdoors. For the Toyooka Theater Festival, Iwashita stages a special edition of this performance in collaboration with musician Kazutoki Umezu. In an unadorned location without a stage or seats, audience members are invited to freely stand, sit, or move around in this improvisational space. There is no set plan between the dance and music. The two elements and the audience interact with the various things there, such as the site itself, the surrounding sounds, passersby, dogs, crows, and weave time together. What exactly do we “Be all ears” to there?

Performers: Toru Iwashita, Kazutoki Umezu

Staff: Management of Umezu: Yoko Tada
Produce: Reiko Shiga

Accessibility: Preschoolers are welcomed

Notes: The performance will be held in the event of rain. The performance will be cancelled in the event of
inclement weather.
Due to the nature of the performance, there will be no seating. Please bring a small chair if needed.
Please be mindful of guests in the back of the venue.
There is limited parking space. Guests arriving from out of town are encouraged to carpool or use
public transportation. We thank you for your understanding.

Credits: Takeno performance co-produced by Toru Iwashita (dance) × Kazutoki Umezu (sax./cl.) Improvisation Session
Presented by Toyooka Theater Festival Executive Committee

photo by bozzo

Toru Iwashita and Kazutoki Umezu: An improvised session by Toru Iwashita and Kazutoki Umezu. Iwashita is a dancer who pursues the potential of improvisational dance as a form of communication, and of solo forms such as dance therapy in psychiatry; he was also a member of the butoh dance company Sankai Juku (~2023). Umezu is a wind instrument player renowned for his work with Seikatsu Kojo Iinkai Orchestra as well as acts such as RC Succession and Kiyoshiro Imawano. The session will be held without a stage or audience seats. Audience members will be invited to stand, sit or move wherever they like and participate in an improvisational space connected by dance, sound and themselves. As part of the official program of the Toyooka Theater Festival, performances were previously held in 2022 and 2023 across the Toyooka area, Yabu and Kasumi.