Tai Kwun | SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts 2025 —— A pursuit of Contemporary Dance, Rap and Words：ARIKA

Description

One may think contemporary dance and rap would have little in common, but SHIMAJI Yasutake and TAMAKI ROY prove otherwise. Breaking down the boundaries of traditional art forms, the two Japanese artists, prominent in their own fields, join forces to pioneer a new style of live performance in the acclaimed ARIKA which will make its Asian debut outside Japan after performances in both Japan and France.

SHIMAJI, a dancer with the world-renowned Forsythe Company for nine years, has a background in ballet, hip-hop dance and karate. TAMAKI ROY, his collaborator, is adept at atmospheric arrangements with rapped and sung verses. The cerebral depth of his work set him apart in Japan’s music scene.

For this atypical and poetic collaboration, the two artists question the origins of dance and music through a series of improvisations. Finding common ground through the word ARIKA (whereabouts), the two artists explore the origin of dance, rhythm and words. Which one of the three first appeared in the world? As humans evolve, did they emerge simultaneously?

With these imaginations and musings, the duo lead the audience in search of the origins of dance and music in a primitive world where improvised movements, sounds, voices and rhythms intertwine. Shimaji's virtuoso dance, both fluid and well-paced, gliding harmoniously over the soothing flow of Tamaki ROY, who also lends his body language to the hip-hop performance.

Full of moments of subtle tensions and infinite sparks, the two artists collide, transforming and displacing each other, and engage in a clash between the best of different genres.

Remarks

Duration: approximately 1 hour

In Japanese without surtitles

Recommended for ages 6 and above

No latecomers will be admitted

Programmes are subject to change without prior notice. Tai Kwun reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the arrangements.