Yuuki
Yuuki is an artist of traditional Japanese Kamigata dance which of the minimum motion in the world, express through her own performance, photography and film. She convey contemporary image by dancing of a Japanese fan and kimono to the world.
She started dance and tea ceremony from her childhood, studied architecture, garden design and landscape at Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2009 she performed solo dance "tears of Eos"(movie, theater) in Asahi Art Square, Tokyo.
2012 summer, Her dance photography was exhibited in the video dance festival "wallpaper dance" in Italy, Trieste. In autumn, she did solo performance project "camellia" in Beppu Contemporary Art Festival "Mixed Bathing World" in Japan. In 2013 she made Dance film "aquarium" with filmmaker Kei T. and musician.
It is selected from The International Video Festival "Agite y Sirva" in Mexico, "Festival International de Video Danse de Bourgogne" in France, "dança em foco" in Brazil, "El Espejo" in Colombia and "International dancefilmfestival brussels 'L'art difficile de filmer la danse' " in Belgium, Festival
Internacional de VideoDanzaBA in Argentina, "Dances with Camera" in Poland, "BANG" Barcelona Videoart Festival, “The Outlet Dance Project” in U.S.A.
The piece was screening at Puebla, Mexico and Cinema Le Morvan in France in April, Bogota in June,at Rio de Janeiro in August and at Oaxaca, Mexico, at Bruxelles and Centro Cultural de la Memoria Haroldo Conti in Buenos Aires in September 2013, at Poznan, Poland and at La Casa Elizalde, Barcelona, Spain in April, Grounds For Sculpture in New Jersey, U.S.A. 2014.
The dance film "aquarium" was featured in the international film festival "Videodance Festival of Palma de Mallorca" held at the Miró Museum in Mallorca, Spain in 2016, and the international film festival "Moovy" held at the Ludwig Museum and Freiburg Theater in Germany in 2018. Festival”
and was also screened at the 2019 international film festival “Seyr Festival” in Tehran, Iran. It is also broadcast at "Pool Videodance Night", special program of International videodance festival "POOL" in Berlin, at the Berlin based art television "ikono TV" with global reach across 30 countries. In 2021 she released the dance film "peri", intended for outer space born from the minimal movements of traditional Japanese dance. It has been screened at international film festivals in Sweden (Dansmuseet) , Portugal, Serbia, USA, Brazil, India, Turkey, Vietnam, Germany, France, Slovakia, Moldova, Cyprus, Chile, Bulgaria, Puerto Rico, Bhutan, and Argentina. Won the Best Dance Short Film Award at Kiez Berlin Film Festival in Germany. Nominated for the Best Experimental Film Award at “Cannes Shorts” Film Festival in France. Won the Best Experimental Film Award at the Slovak film festival "EUROPE MUSIC AWARD". Won the Best Experiment Award
at the Andromeda Film Festival in Istanbul. Received the “Honorable Mention” at the Budapest Film Festival in Hungary. Won "Best Experiment" at Close Film Festival in East Azerbaijan. Won the ”Best Experimental Film Award'' at the Druk International Film Festival in Bhutan.
She started dance and tea ceremony from her childhood, studied architecture, garden design and landscape at Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2009 she performed solo dance "tears of Eos"(movie, theater) in Asahi Art Square, Tokyo.
2012 summer, Her dance photography was exhibited in the video dance festival "wallpaper dance" in Italy, Trieste. In autumn, she did solo performance project "camellia" in Beppu Contemporary Art Festival "Mixed Bathing World" in Japan. In 2013 she made Dance film "aquarium" with filmmaker Kei T. and musician.
It is selected from The International Video Festival "Agite y Sirva" in Mexico, "Festival International de Video Danse de Bourgogne" in France, "dança em foco" in Brazil, "El Espejo" in Colombia and "International dancefilmfestival brussels 'L'art difficile de filmer la danse' " in Belgium, Festival
Internacional de VideoDanzaBA in Argentina, "Dances with Camera" in Poland, "BANG" Barcelona Videoart Festival, “The Outlet Dance Project” in U.S.A.
The piece was screening at Puebla, Mexico and Cinema Le Morvan in France in April, Bogota in June,at Rio de Janeiro in August and at Oaxaca, Mexico, at Bruxelles and Centro Cultural de la Memoria Haroldo Conti in Buenos Aires in September 2013, at Poznan, Poland and at La Casa Elizalde, Barcelona, Spain in April, Grounds For Sculpture in New Jersey, U.S.A. 2014.
The dance film "aquarium" was featured in the international film festival "Videodance Festival of Palma de Mallorca" held at the Miró Museum in Mallorca, Spain in 2016, and the international film festival "Moovy" held at the Ludwig Museum and Freiburg Theater in Germany in 2018. Festival”
and was also screened at the 2019 international film festival “Seyr Festival” in Tehran, Iran. It is also broadcast at "Pool Videodance Night", special program of International videodance festival "POOL" in Berlin, at the Berlin based art television "ikono TV" with global reach across 30 countries. In 2021 she released the dance film "peri", intended for outer space born from the minimal movements of traditional Japanese dance. It has been screened at international film festivals in Sweden (Dansmuseet) , Portugal, Serbia, USA, Brazil, India, Turkey, Vietnam, Germany, France, Slovakia, Moldova, Cyprus, Chile, Bulgaria, Puerto Rico, Bhutan, and Argentina. Won the Best Dance Short Film Award at Kiez Berlin Film Festival in Germany. Nominated for the Best Experimental Film Award at “Cannes Shorts” Film Festival in France. Won the Best Experimental Film Award at the Slovak film festival "EUROPE MUSIC AWARD". Won the Best Experiment Award
at the Andromeda Film Festival in Istanbul. Received the “Honorable Mention” at the Budapest Film Festival in Hungary. Won "Best Experiment" at Close Film Festival in East Azerbaijan. Won the ”Best Experimental Film Award'' at the Druk International Film Festival in Bhutan.
Could you briefly describe your project for our audience?
Kamigata-mai, which is a kind of traditional Japanese dance, is strongly influenced by Noh. It is known for its abstract expression with the movements that have been cut out. In my film “peri”, the movement of Mai is reinterpreted, and the intention is to expand like outer space, which is created from the minimum movement. In Japanese traditional dance, which shows the body including the kimono rather than the body itself, the outline of the body is expanded, and the kimono and the air and light around it dance together. The title "peri" is a fairy that appears in Persian mythology. In Suffolk, England, the Arctic Aurora is called "Perry Dancer", and in Scotland he is called "Perry" in the Shetland Islands. It is called this because the light seems to be dancing.
Even in Japan, the appearance of fireflies shining light and flying around in search of a partner is sometimes called "the dance of light." It is interesting that the movement of light is regarded as "dance" in the east and west, so it becomes the title of the work.
What were your main aspirations or goals when creating this project?
The first goal is for audiences around the world to see traditional Japanese dance that is not well known around the world, especially “Kamigata Mai”, which is similar to Noh. Another goal is not to focus solely on “Kamigata Mai,'' but to extract the elements of its movement, reconstruct it in the modern era, and sublimate it into a dance film, let the audience feel the possibility of new expressions.
Share some memorable moments from the shooting process or any pleasant surprises.
The creation of my dance film "peri" started as a concept in 2014, experimented in 2015, collected materials other than dance from 2017 to 2020, edited and produced music over a year in 2020, and completed in 2021. Actually, I am pregnant and had a baby in 2015.The poster of peri (photo of shining Kimono) was an experiment I did during my last month of pregnancy. During pregnancy, mysterious inspirations come to me, and I think the inspiration I received during this period forms the basis of the image of “peri.'' I create an imaginary outer space that doesn't exist in reality by combining dance footage shot primarily in my home studio with video footage shot outside. , and unexpected moments can result. “peri'' was completed by accumulating these accidental moments.
Who is the primary target audience for your film, and what do you hope they will take away from it?
The target audience is not only people who are interested in traditional Japanese performing arts and culture, but also curious people who want to see dance expressions and films that they have never seen before. “peri'' is a film that has been reconstructed with the image of outer space while being based on traditional Japanese dance. I would be happy if people could see Japanese culture from a new angle and see new potential after appreciating “peri''.
What makes your project an appealing choice for potential distributors?
First, there are very few films that use traditional Japanese kamigata dance as their subject. Furthermore, there is no other film that has the idea of combining Kamigata dance and outer space, making it unique in the world.
How would you define your unique filmmaking style, and what distinct qualities characterize your film?
My filmmaking style is to create a dance experience that does not exist on stage through the interaction of dance, images, and music. The unique quality that characterizes my films is that they release elements that reinterpret traditional Japanese materials to the world. In particular, it is characterized by a modern reconstruction of Kamigata-mai, a traditional Japanese performing art similar to Noh.
What inspired you to pursue a career in filmmaking?
I started dancing at the age of 12, and around the same time I started liking movies and music (mainly European and American). I started dancing contemporary dance when I was in my mid-20s and found “dance films”. I was shocked to know that there is dance that only exists on screen, and I became hooked. Until then, dance, movies, and music had been separate things for me, but I feel that “dance film'' are a comprehensive art that brings them all together. If it's a stage performance, only the people who are there can see the dance, but if it's a dance film, it can be seen by people all over the world by being screened at film festivals around the world.
I started creating works with the desire to release films that only I, a Japanese person, can
create to the world.
Do you have a filmmaker or source of inspiration who has influenced your work?
Film directors who have influenced my work include Czech Republic director Jan Švankmajer, famous for the movie “Alice,'' Russian director Sergei Bodrov, famous for the movie ”The Bear's Kiss,'' and German director Wim Wenders, famous for the movie “Pina.'' In particular, the movie "Alice" has both cuteness and eeriness, and it is the origin of my work, which aims to live more freely and creatively like a fearless child. Besides movies, I often get inspiration from dance and art. For example, in dance, seeing the work by French choreographer Perrine Valli has left an impression on me. Black and white, straight lines, curves, and dots. A simple, streamlined breathing movement that flows from her fingertips to her toes. I felt that interesting things were happening right next to me in my daily life. For the artwork, I was inspired by an exhibition by Greek artist Hussein Chalayan. Clothes, video works, sculptures, etc. using technologies such as LED, crystal, and laser beams. It's strange that clothes made from LEDs and crystals feel warm even though they are made from inorganic materials. I sympathized with works such as "Airplane Dress" that express the contradiction between the longing to fly and the inability to leave the ground.
Share a couple of your favorite films and what resonates with you about them.
One of the works of the above-mentioned film director is "Bear's Kiss" by Russian director Sergei Bodrov. The beautiful images are impressive, including the animation that depicts the legend of a man and a bear, and the colorful circus scenes.
The story is not just a modern day story, but the film shows the connections between people and bears that have been passed down in Siberia and other parts of the world, which I find I deeply sympathize with the centrality of the work. I also have one favorite movie from Asia. It's “ The Scent of Green Papaya”, directed by Tran Anh Hung, a Vietnamese-born French film director who grew up in Paris. As a creator, I sympathize with the fact that the film is taking on the challenge of creating a work of art that can only be achieved through film, with its shadowy, relaxing images, minimal dialogue, and impressive use of contemporary music.
Where do you typically find inspiration for your film projects?
I get inspiration not only from movies and video works from various countries, but also from art works I see in museums, dance performances, fashion, and music. My biggest source of inspiration is Japanese traditional performing arts. I learned “Senchado” from my grandmother when I was 12 years old, and as I continued to learn, my movements became so refined that it looked like my hands were dancing on a tray. Because Noh and Kamigata-mai have minimal movement, they can appear in a variety of ways depending on the music, costumes, environment, etc., which gives rise to endless ideas for my works.
Learn more:
My Official Site:
https://artist.yuuki-gallery.net
IMDb profile:
https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm15348099?ref_=nm_nv_usr_profile
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/yuu_ki.jp
Even in Japan, the appearance of fireflies shining light and flying around in search of a partner is sometimes called "the dance of light." It is interesting that the movement of light is regarded as "dance" in the east and west, so it becomes the title of the work.
What were your main aspirations or goals when creating this project?
The first goal is for audiences around the world to see traditional Japanese dance that is not well known around the world, especially “Kamigata Mai”, which is similar to Noh. Another goal is not to focus solely on “Kamigata Mai,'' but to extract the elements of its movement, reconstruct it in the modern era, and sublimate it into a dance film, let the audience feel the possibility of new expressions.
Share some memorable moments from the shooting process or any pleasant surprises.
The creation of my dance film "peri" started as a concept in 2014, experimented in 2015, collected materials other than dance from 2017 to 2020, edited and produced music over a year in 2020, and completed in 2021. Actually, I am pregnant and had a baby in 2015.The poster of peri (photo of shining Kimono) was an experiment I did during my last month of pregnancy. During pregnancy, mysterious inspirations come to me, and I think the inspiration I received during this period forms the basis of the image of “peri.'' I create an imaginary outer space that doesn't exist in reality by combining dance footage shot primarily in my home studio with video footage shot outside. , and unexpected moments can result. “peri'' was completed by accumulating these accidental moments.
Who is the primary target audience for your film, and what do you hope they will take away from it?
The target audience is not only people who are interested in traditional Japanese performing arts and culture, but also curious people who want to see dance expressions and films that they have never seen before. “peri'' is a film that has been reconstructed with the image of outer space while being based on traditional Japanese dance. I would be happy if people could see Japanese culture from a new angle and see new potential after appreciating “peri''.
What makes your project an appealing choice for potential distributors?
First, there are very few films that use traditional Japanese kamigata dance as their subject. Furthermore, there is no other film that has the idea of combining Kamigata dance and outer space, making it unique in the world.
How would you define your unique filmmaking style, and what distinct qualities characterize your film?
My filmmaking style is to create a dance experience that does not exist on stage through the interaction of dance, images, and music. The unique quality that characterizes my films is that they release elements that reinterpret traditional Japanese materials to the world. In particular, it is characterized by a modern reconstruction of Kamigata-mai, a traditional Japanese performing art similar to Noh.
What inspired you to pursue a career in filmmaking?
I started dancing at the age of 12, and around the same time I started liking movies and music (mainly European and American). I started dancing contemporary dance when I was in my mid-20s and found “dance films”. I was shocked to know that there is dance that only exists on screen, and I became hooked. Until then, dance, movies, and music had been separate things for me, but I feel that “dance film'' are a comprehensive art that brings them all together. If it's a stage performance, only the people who are there can see the dance, but if it's a dance film, it can be seen by people all over the world by being screened at film festivals around the world.
I started creating works with the desire to release films that only I, a Japanese person, can
create to the world.
Do you have a filmmaker or source of inspiration who has influenced your work?
Film directors who have influenced my work include Czech Republic director Jan Švankmajer, famous for the movie “Alice,'' Russian director Sergei Bodrov, famous for the movie ”The Bear's Kiss,'' and German director Wim Wenders, famous for the movie “Pina.'' In particular, the movie "Alice" has both cuteness and eeriness, and it is the origin of my work, which aims to live more freely and creatively like a fearless child. Besides movies, I often get inspiration from dance and art. For example, in dance, seeing the work by French choreographer Perrine Valli has left an impression on me. Black and white, straight lines, curves, and dots. A simple, streamlined breathing movement that flows from her fingertips to her toes. I felt that interesting things were happening right next to me in my daily life. For the artwork, I was inspired by an exhibition by Greek artist Hussein Chalayan. Clothes, video works, sculptures, etc. using technologies such as LED, crystal, and laser beams. It's strange that clothes made from LEDs and crystals feel warm even though they are made from inorganic materials. I sympathized with works such as "Airplane Dress" that express the contradiction between the longing to fly and the inability to leave the ground.
Share a couple of your favorite films and what resonates with you about them.
One of the works of the above-mentioned film director is "Bear's Kiss" by Russian director Sergei Bodrov. The beautiful images are impressive, including the animation that depicts the legend of a man and a bear, and the colorful circus scenes.
The story is not just a modern day story, but the film shows the connections between people and bears that have been passed down in Siberia and other parts of the world, which I find I deeply sympathize with the centrality of the work. I also have one favorite movie from Asia. It's “ The Scent of Green Papaya”, directed by Tran Anh Hung, a Vietnamese-born French film director who grew up in Paris. As a creator, I sympathize with the fact that the film is taking on the challenge of creating a work of art that can only be achieved through film, with its shadowy, relaxing images, minimal dialogue, and impressive use of contemporary music.
Where do you typically find inspiration for your film projects?
I get inspiration not only from movies and video works from various countries, but also from art works I see in museums, dance performances, fashion, and music. My biggest source of inspiration is Japanese traditional performing arts. I learned “Senchado” from my grandmother when I was 12 years old, and as I continued to learn, my movements became so refined that it looked like my hands were dancing on a tray. Because Noh and Kamigata-mai have minimal movement, they can appear in a variety of ways depending on the music, costumes, environment, etc., which gives rise to endless ideas for my works.
Learn more:
My Official Site:
https://artist.yuuki-gallery.net
IMDb profile:
https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm15348099?ref_=nm_nv_usr_profile
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/yuu_ki.jp