Lessons in agile steps

Dance-lovers were in for a treat recently as popular Japanese dancer Kentaro took the stage at the Attakalari Studio.

One of Japan’s fast emerging and most promising choreographers, Kentaro treated the audience to some hip-hop and contemporary dance performances which involved fluid and intense movements.

A workshop of sorts for dance enthusiasts as well, the event explored both physicality and theatricality of dance through elaborate choreography. Organised by The Japan Foundation, New Delhi and titled ‘After Raining, It Will Be Sunny’, this was an effort by Kentaro to break the norm and go beyond the boundaries of dance techniques.

Kentaro started dancing at a young age as he was deeply impressed by the street dance culture during his childhood. He started dancing based on what he could pick from his favourite TV dance competition ‘Dance Koshien’. He then discovered more improvised contemporary dance and was attracted by it. As his love for dance grew, he started to work on pieces combining street dance techniques and dramatic elements of contemporary dances.

‘After Raining, It Will Be Sunny’ explored the beginning and end of things. With Kentaro’s vivid expressions, the production consisted of stoic choreography and original electronic music. The artiste even sang in between and had the audience humming along. The way his choreography switched quickly from tough and joyful movements to relaxed and self-reflective ones gave a heart-touching impression to his work. Over all, the show struck a fine balance between metaphors and stories. In between, the dancer even joked about his relationship status. “I’m a dancer as you can see. I’m still unmarried so I’m ‘Mr Lonely’,” he smiled addressing the audience.

The auditorium was packed to hilt with some people even standing throughout the show as Kentaro took everyone on a journey of varied emotions like joy, sorrow, fun and seriousness. Through his agile movements and his able presentation of the fusion of street and contemporary dance, Kentaro had everyone clapping in awe.

Parth, a dance enthusiast who was present, loved the show. “It was a very poetic performance. The way he conceptualised everything was extremely good. His dance taught us to never say no to anything,” he said. “The struggle of life and its challenges were portrayed very well by him too,” he added.