The performance we are preparing in Wakayama, ‘Playing Moon, Dancing Flower’,  is being held at the Waka-no-Ura Art Cube, one of the most inspiring venues I have ever worked in. Artfully designed, beautiful location, super-efficient staff.

The project itself is also one of the most original that I have had the pleasure of working on: a genuine mix of disciplines, forms, and cultures. Hideo is taking full advantage of the unique architecture of the building to create an almost  eerie sense of unfolding layers of space. Fumika Fujiwara, botanical artist, has transformed the interior with several beautiful natural material installations, falling somewhere between ikebana and land-art. And I am so enjoying learning the ‘ma’ inherent to the gagaku music that is an important aspect to our show. The three musicians from the Wakayama Gagaku-Kai, Ryuichi Otani (ryuteki), Sadamitsu Egawa (shō), Ayumu Tanaka (shichiriki), have been great collaborators, and generously shared their ideas and enthusiasm with all of us.

Japan suffered a significant catastrophe in March of this year, and the Wakayama region itself was hit hard by a tsunami recently. Our event to help celebrate the full moon tonight on 2011.11.11 has a distinct ceremonial aspect, that we hope that, in some way, it will encourage the healing process. It is going to be a special evening.