The Dying Swan & Its Cause of Death - Beyond Classics -

Timeless beauty of the classical Dying Swan, originally choreographed by Mikhail Fokine, has inspired many audiences and artists. Now, 120 years after its premiere, Japanese prima ballerina Hana Sakai performs this iconic piece exquisitely, alongside a new interpretation directed by award-winning Japanese theater director Toshiki Okada. Enhanced by the haunting melodies of live cello played by Udai Shika, the contemporary piece also delves into environmental issues, with Hana delivering unexpected expressions.

Lead Artist Lluís Valls from Theatre of Yugen graces the special evening with a short excerpt from a classical Western piece infused with Nohgaku aesthetics.

Following the performance, join in the post-show conversation with all the artists and producers from Japan!

Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to witness and explore the boundless possibilities of intercultural artistic collaborations and conversions!

Hana Sakai, Ballet Dancer

Born in Seattle, U.S.A., and raised in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Hana Sakai began ballet in 1979, studying under Toshiaki Hatasa. She joined the Tachibana Ballet School and the Maki Asami Ballet Tokyo, where she was selected for the role of Cupid at the age of 14 and made her debut as a leading role at the age of 18. In 1997, she transferred to the New National Ballet Company, and performed the leading role. She made a guest appearance in "Contact" by the Shiki Theatre Company in 2007 and "Andersen" in 2009. Hana began collaborating with Yasutake Shimaji as the unit "Altneu" (Altneu) in 2013. She has received many prestigious awards and honors including Muramatsu Award, Einosuke Nakagawa Award, Dance Critics Society Newcomer Prize, Minister of Education's Art Encouragement Prize, Chieko Hattori Award, Dance Critics Society Award, Minister of Education's Art Encouragement Prize, Nimura Dance Award, Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2017, and the 69th Art of Dance Award in 2021.

Udai Shika, Cellist

Udao Shika is a versatile cellist known for his eclectic performances across a range of genres, including rock, pop, jazz, classical, and improvised music. Since the 2010s, he has held a prominent position as one of the top string arrangers in the Japanese music scene. In recent years, Udai has played and arranged strings for Bank Band, Mr. Children, ONE OK ROCK, and various other rock bands. In October 2019, he released his album "Taiyo no Tani (Valley of the Sun)," featuring his renditions of Bach's unaccompanied cello suites. Beyond his interpretations of classical works, he is recognized for his original compositions and his unique approach to blending classical music with improvisational flair.

http://udai66.com/

Toshiki Okada, Director

Toshiki Okada is a playwright, director and novelist. He is an innovator of form and a key figure in Japanese contemporary theater, and one of the world’s most recognized theater-makers of today. Born in Yokohama in 1973, he formed the theater company chelfitsch in 1997. Since then he has written and directed all of the company’s productions, employing a distinctive methodology for creating plays, and has come to be known for his use of “hyper-colloquial” Japanese and unique choreography. chelfitsch made its debut abroad with the performance “Five Days in March” in 2007, and has since presented works in more than 70 cities around the world. With that show, the company began to juxtapose a noisy choreography derived from everyday mannerisms to the text. In 2016, he began a commission to direct works in a repertory program at the Munich Kammerspiele, one of foremost public theaters in Germany, for three consecutive seasons. Meanwhile, he is engaged in the creation of works with the new technique of “video theater.”

​Lluís Valls, Lead Artist of Theatre of Yugen

Lluís Valls acts, directs, and writes for the theatre. He has studied Noh with Richard Emmert, Akira Matsui, and Teruhisa Oshima (Kita school), Kyogen with Yukio Ishida, Go Iida and Yuriko Doi (Izumi school), and Kotsuzumi Noh drum with Mitsuo Kama (Ko school), as well as training in butoh, Suzuki method, and clowning. A graduate of SFSU, Mr. Valls has been a disciple of founder Yuriko Doi since 1993 and served as Theatre of Yugen’s Joint Artistic Director with Jubilith Moore and Libby Zilber from 2002 – 2008. He has been a main actor for Yugen since 1997 and currently serves as the Director of the Kyogen Company. Lluis is also a founding member of the local Clown company Clowns on a Stick, as well as international Noh troupe Theatre Nohgaku with whom he has toured throughout Europe, Asia and the US. https://www.theatreofyugen.org/

Presented by the U.S./Japan Cultural Trade Network, Inc. (CTN), co-presented by Theatre of Yugen, supported in part by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan. Additional support is provided by the Aichi Prefectural Art Theater, Dance Base Yokohama and the Japan Society New York.

Host or Publisher U.S./Japan Cultural Trade Network (CTN)