大野慶人 –‘ 空 ’
作者 Juliet Neidish
2007年10月27日 — 紐約日本協會，紐約市
我很榮幸能在日本協會的觀眾席見到大野慶人演出他的獨舞“空”。這是從10月一直到11月在這一帶幾個場地所舉行的紐約雙年舞踏節裡非常特別的一部份。今年的舞踏節是向偉大的，影響深遠的舞踏大師大野一雄的101歲生日致敬。
大野慶人，他的兒子，為了他已得阿兹海默症的父親編排了這段獻上敬意的舞蹈。大野一雄是在70幾歲時成名於世，並且直到90幾歲依舊沒有困難地上台表演。慶人，現在也將近70，除了自己的演出也時常與他的父親一起巡迴。
日本協會，很美的一座展場/劇院，是個十分適合進行這活動的空間。一進入劇院，看得到的舞台部分全都覆蓋成白色。慶人背向觀眾站在距舞台中央僅左邊一些的位置，低著頭，穿著米色西裝和休閒褲。他一動也不動地以那姿勢站立著，直到所有的觀眾都已入席。事實上，在整首開場的巴哈賦格音樂中他一直都是不動的。雖然慶人自己是在靜止，然而他似乎已安排好讓音樂的音量在強弱間變化並揉合出某種軌跡。這是相當有力且令人振奮的開場，同時完全沒有任何身體動作。之後風的聲音響起了，慶人慢慢地開始舞蹈。
這齣舞蹈的身體是種記憶的探索。節目單上有句話：“我決定以‘空’來表達我的信念，那就是我的生命是許許多多人所給予的，或者應該說，來自於我周遭的每一個人。”舞作的不同段落分別產生出不同的情緒或感受，例如嬉戲，驚奇，掙扎，與沉思。這些是藉由他的出場和再進場而勾勒出整體輪廓，有時也會在服裝造型上出現些改變，或者是新的聲音或配樂。舞步動作本身是簡單清晰的。它們是在一種十分慎重的專注和堅韌下所完成，不過偶爾也會出乎意料地因為一個離地的跳躍或欣喜若狂的飛奔而添增色彩。
這齣舞蹈有種很強的致敬意味，包括特別提到一些過去他曾與他的父親共同演出的作品。雖然在‘空’裡慶人是唯一的舞者，然而這作品並不僅僅是為了獨舞者，大野慶人，而作的。相反地，它很明顯的是關於與他人連繫著的慶人，尤其是與那些此刻並不在場之人。他非常用心地投入在一張面紙上，因此與這輕飄飄如空氣般的存在作出了一段不同凡響的雙人舞。他將它摺成一頂小小的帽子，讓他那剃得光光的頭得到它的保護。他對它微笑，充滿情感地展示它，甚至當它已掉到他寬寬的褲腳底下時，他還可以完好如初地將它重拾起來。
慶人的創意使他能延續與他父親共享舞台的這種原本形式。透過幻燈投影的運用，慶人讓觀眾見到很寫實且赤裸裸的照片，那是十分年邁，身體已乾癟的大野一雄，平靜地熟睡著。其中包括慶人在看著或溫柔地輕撫著他的父親。而在結尾段落，他熟練地操弄著手上的小人偶，它的白髮和長臉孔讓人覺得像是看見他的父親。這人偶是非常精巧的小小人形，有雙非常具有表現力的小手，而且因為這段共舞是同步投影在上方的螢幕，所以觀眾都能清楚看到它們。我們見證了慶人在他與人偶互通心意的過程中所傳達出的極度輕柔和深刻情感，心中因而留下的是一種鮮明的脆弱感。這段的結束是慶人短短的一聲“謝謝”–那是個令人意外的片刻，破除了這場魔法般的演出所下的咒語。抱著一束束花朵向觀眾致意，他的鞠躬謝幕是真誠的，活潑的，且優雅的。
演出之後是日本協會所主持獻給大野一雄的舞踏生日宴會。只要持有先前大野系列表演票券的人都歡迎參加。現場有茶點，氣球，遊戲，音樂，以及表演者在整個展場裡的即興演出。
Yoshito Ohno – ‘Kuu (Emptiness)’
by Juliet Neidish
October 27, 2007 — Japan Society, New York, NY
It was a privilege being in the audience at Japan Society to see Yoshito Ohno perform his solo “Kuu (Emptiness).” This was a very special part of the biennial New York Butoh Festival that takes place in several venues here throughout October and November. This year’s festival honors the great, seminal butoh master Kazuo Ohno’s 101st birthday. Yoshito Ohno, his son, choreographed this homage to his father who is ill with Alzheimer’s disease. Kazuo Ohno became world famous while in his 70s, and performed well into his 90s. Yoshito, now himself, almost 70, performed and often toured with his father.
The Japan Society, a beautiful gallery/theater, was a wonderful setting for this event. Upon entering the theater, the revealed stage was masked in white. Yoshito stood with his back to the audience just left of center, with head bowed, dressed in a cream-colored suit and slacks. He stood motionless in that pose until all audience members were seated. In fact, he remained motionless throughout the entire Bach fugue that opened the piece. Although Yoshito was in stasis, he seemed to have choreographed the music whose volume was a pathway that fused its way between high sound and low. This was a powerful and invigorating beginning accomplished with no body movement at all. Then to the sound of wind blowing, Yoshito slowly began to dance.
The body of the piece was an exploration of memory. A sentence from the program notes: “I decided on ‘Kuu’ to express my belief that I have been given life by many people, or rather, by everyone around me.” Different sections of the piece rendered different feelings or sensations such as playfulness, wonderment, struggle and reflection. They were delineated by his exiting and reentering, sometimes with a slight costume change or with a new sound or musical accompaniment. The steps and movements themselves were clear and simple. They were executed with a deliberate concentration and tenacity, colored occasionally and surprisingly with an airy jump or ecstatic skitter.
There was a sense of great deference in this piece, which included specific references to works he had performed in the past with his father. Although Yoshito was the sole dancer in “Kuu,” the piece was not a vehicle for Yoshito Ohno, the soloist. Rather, it was clearly about Yoshito in relation to others, and particularly those now absent. He did a remarkably delicate pas de deux with a tissue with great care in tending to this ethereal presence. He folded it into a tiny hat to protect his shaved head. He smiled at it, showed it off lovingly, and even when it disappeared under the wide bottom of his pant leg, he was able to recover it without damage.
Yoshito’s inventiveness enabled him to continue the tradition of sharing the stage with his father. Through the use of slide projection, Yoshito showed the audience stark, realistic photos of the very old and wizened Kazuo sleeping peacefully. Some included Yoshito watching or tenderly caressing his father. And in the final section, he manipulated a small hand held puppet whose white hair and long face bore a resemblance to his father. The puppet was a very delicate little figure with extremely expressive, tiny hands, which the audience was able to see because the duet was simultaneously being projected on a screen above. We were witness to the great gentleness and affection that Yoshito transmitted in his communication with the puppet, thus leaving us with a vivid sensation of vulnerability. The piece came to an end with Yoshito’s tiny utterance of “thank you”–a surprising moment that broke the spell of magical performance. Greeted with bouquets of flowers, his bows were authentic, playful and gracious.
A butoh birthday party for Kazuo Ohno hosted by Japan Society followed the performance. All ticket holders from previous performances in the Ohno series were invited. There were refreshments, balloons, games, music and performers improvising throughout the gallery.
quoted from: http://www.ballet-dance.com/200712/articles/Ohno20071027.html
合藏舞踏苑 