2024/10/28

Photo by Takeshi Yao

The Asia + Festival will be held for about two months from September 27th. Over 30 performances from around 100 countries, mainly in Asia, will be coming to Hong Kong for this event, and this time, "+XNUMX+XNUMX+XNUMX+" (plus one, plus one, plus, plus) will be appearing from Japan!

The unconventional, precise and precise dance, the music created by computer, and the intertwining of three-dimensional light and images on stage... The spectacle that is woven together with all of these elements makes you feel as if you have wandered into the near future...

Daito Manabe, director, music and video director, had this to say about this work:
"By fusing classical musical structures with contemporary rhythmic repetition, we attempt to transcend the boundaries between music and dance. This project, where tradition and modernity intersect, aims to utilize digital technology to provide audiences with an unknown experience. By exploring the possibilities of new artistic expression that can be woven together through music, dance, and technology, we pursue new discoveries that transcend the boundaries of the senses," he previously stated.

Hong Kong LEI interviewed the pair and asked them about their work and their message to the people of Hong Kong.

Manabe Daito is in charge of direction, music and video. He is active in many fields as a media artist, programmer and composer. Born to musician parents, he was so passionate about computer games that he started making them when he was in elementary school. He graduated from the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science and the International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences. After participating in a dance project, he started making works that focused on the "body" and "technology". He founded Rhizomatiks Inc. in 2006. He is responsible for the technology production and direction of many projects with famous people such as Björk, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Perfume.

MIKIKO, in charge of direction and choreography, launched the dance company ELEVENPLAY in 2009 with the hope of producing wonderful dancers with refined sense, as well as "mind, technique, and body." She choreographs and directs live performances for many famous artists, including Perfume and BABYMETAL. She also actively collaborates with Rhizomatiks on media art performances and other overseas performances.

- How did you come up with the title of the piece, "+1+1+1+"?

MIKIKOSan(M): The stage is made up of four dancers and geometric patterns projected on a gauze screen. I reflected that overall image in the letters.

- Do you two discuss the work together as you create it?

Daido (hereinafter D): I don't have any say in the dance, but when we're creating a relationship between video and dance, we go into the studio and do actual experiments and discuss things. We don't have such heated discussions now, but in the past, we did (laughs).

M: (laughs) We've been working together for 15 years, so we've come to understand the key points, like "listening to what Daido says here will definitely improve." Also, although music is at the heart of the two of us, we have a sense of trust that means he understands the points we need to keep in mind for choreography without us having to say them.

Photo by Takeshi Yao

- What are the highlights of the performance?

M: The dancers, who are highly synchronized with their detailed movements, collaborate with the video. The mechanism is simple, but because it is simple, it will give you a surprising realization, so I would like you to see it. Also, Daido composed all the music, and I hope you will enjoy the unexpectedness of the music, which is a slightly different approach from what you've done before.

D: The music, video, and dance were all carefully crafted. The fusion of these elements was also very precise. I think that this is the quality we were able to achieve because we have been working together as the same team for 15 years. I hope you will enjoy it.

Photo by Takeshi Yao

- Were you conscious of the fact that the audience were "Hong Kong people"?

D: No, that's not the case. I think the most important thing is to express faithfully what we do all the time. We tour all over the world, but when we create our works, we don't think about "making something that sounds Japanese" at all. But we're often told that our works sound Japanese. I think that's what makes it interesting, and I hope that everyone can feel that as well.

- Please give a message to the people of Hong Kong.

M: I'm very happy that we can perform in Hong Kong. With the COVID-19 pandemic underway, I think everyone is getting used to watching things on screen, but when advanced video technology is combined with live human dance on stage, there's an emotion that can only be experienced live. I hope everyone will come and see it at the theater and experience the highly immersive feeling!

It is a stage performance where the meticulously crafted music, images, and human dance are fused together in a way that cannot be fully conveyed in words. This is a rare opportunity to see the latest work by the globally-popular Manabe Daito x ELEVENPLAY in Hong Kong, so please be sure to visit the Hong Kong Cultural Center Main Hall.

Photo by Takeshi Yao

Rhizomatiks x ELEVENPLAY “Multiplex” (2021)

『+1+1+1+』

Date and time: November 11th (Friday) and XNUMXth (Saturday) XNUMX:XNUMXpm

Venue: Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Ticket prices: HK$580, HK$480, HK$360, HK$240*

*Some seats have restricted view

Student and senior rates: half price

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