Our dance is shaped by the unique characteristics of each location, making the space itself, rather than the dancers, the main focus.
The slant of the ground, the angles where roads intersect, the shapes, textures, and movements of objects—these elements determine the movements of the two bodies, highlighting the raw, physical appeal of the surrounding landscape. When walking through the city, we focus on “seeing it physically.” Rather than prioritizing history or cultural context, we closely observe the forms and features that have emerged from human activity and seek to experience them as they are.
Once a month, Aguyoshi takes a train or bus to explore a different town. Wandering freely, we set up a tripod and film a short video whenever a scene catches our eye. This field activity, called Moyayoshi, is now in its ninth year, with over 400 short videos captured in various locations, all of which can be found on Instagram.
When we first started out, we created contemporary dance productions to perform in theaters. However, we began to question certain assumptions about dance performance—why the same dance should be performed in rehearsal and actual performances, even in different locations; the theater environment that requires the audience to remain focused throughout; and the expected duration and thematic structure required for dance productions. During this period, the short outdoor dances we originally practiced as part of our rehearsals gradually became the main focus of our work.
The human body appears different on a summer morning atop a mountain compared to a winter evening at the beach. It also looks distinct in a bicycle parking area in front of a station versus on a swing in a park behind a shrine. Instead of overlooking these subtle differences, we aim to perceive them keenly and engage in a unique dance that can only be experienced at specific times and places. This allows us to expose our vulnerable bodies to environmental influences as they truly are.
“Moyayoshi” serves as our training method. By dancing continuously and adapting to various locations, we strive to develop physical skills that cannot be honed simply by practicing in a studio with a flat floor.
(March 2025)
English translation by Lisa Fukuoka (Catalyst, LLC) and Jack Lee Randall