ARTISTS 2016

Awaji Art Circus 2016 consisted of 26 artists from 11 different countries around the world including France, Spain, Romania, Ukraine, Belalus, Russia, Serbia, Australia, Zimbabwe, Finland and Holland. Performance genre included various artistic expressions such as baroque dance on stilts, comedian pantomime, Gypsy dance, vocal performance, samba percussion, acrobatics, contortion show, contemporary dance, monologue, grandma circus, African fusion dance etc. Artists performed, researched and experienced Japanese culture and regional resources, interacted with local artists and appeared in various events on Awaji Island. In addition, via the internet they shared with the world their everyday activities, information on Japan and Awaji Island, and reactions to their experiences.

Even after they returned to their home countries at the end of the festival, the relationship between the artists and Awaji Art Circus is strong. Artists are holding lectures, appearing on radios as well as writing articles and blogs about their experiences on Awaji Island. Artists continue to utilize their networks established during Awaji Art Circus as they work on joint projects and collaborative plans.

AAC 2016 ARTISTS LIST

Al'entrada

Gypsy dance, performance on stilts

Ukraine

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

The motto of Al'entrada is to bring people joy. We believe that art should make people happy, so in every performance we introduce the viewer with a fairy tale, inviting to became a part of a beautiful and magical word of dreams.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

Awaji has beautiful untouched nature and absolutely beautiful, friendly, hospitable and open people. We felt that kindness every day. They will remain in our heart forever. Also we think that it is necessary to keep the island and its nature the way it is, because the nature is the main appeal of Awaji.

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

Nataliya: I had two most favorite types of audience: children and elderly. They were the most receptive, emotional and grateful viewers I have ever had. And what a pleasure to dance between the flowers in Hanasajiki! (beautiful flower park on Awaji Island)

Viktoriya: I remember the day when my dream came true and I danced accompanied by Japanese drums taiko. Also one day there was an earthquake on Awaji, and it was very symbolical because that that day I performed at Awaji Earthquake Memorial Park. And 15 minutes after the earthquake I danced with contemporary dancers A&V for the first time. And while we were dancing there were one more earthquake. And also I liked Japanese children and the way they danced during our workshops. Every day was special and will remain in my memory.

Anastasiia Ilina

Contortion, Dance

Ukraine

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

I am the dancer-contortionist: things I do sometimes seem to be impossible for ordinary people… But via my performances I want to show the most important aspect of life: dreams come true! Just believe and everything you want you will receive! I really love to share my passion with other people!

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

Awaji Island is magic!!! Of course, the best place ever for me is the Japanese Onsen (hot spring complex): I’d visited Onsens every single week! Amazing! Onsen with the view on the world’s longest suspension bridge… what can be better?
Food: my first lobster-eating experience, it was unbelievably delicious! And yes, what really surprised me: it is possible to buy HOT coffee and tea (bottled) in the special vending machines!
I loved traditional Japanese tea ceremonies: wow! Wow! WOW!

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

Thanks to my partner from Zimbabwe Tatenda, we made the great collaboration: I really loved to perform in duo with him!
Speaking about my favorite place for performances… yes, it is Highway Oasis (inside the shopping center) – the best place in my life!!! Very warm audience and kind people who told me too many kind words… Oh, it was incredible!
I miss… everyone and everything!!!!! Thank You people for giving me this possibility – to perform in Awaji Art Circus Festival!

Barbarossa Samba Group

Samba Performance

Romania

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

We are Barbarossa Samba Group from Romania. Our music starts from the beating of our hearts, combined with percussion, vocals, guitar and ukulele, making a whole journey for those who listen to it. We believe that music brings people together. No matter what culture, race, or all sorts of interests we have. It brings out the best in all of us, love, friendship, harmony and joy. Through our music we express our passion for life and our love for everything that surrounds us, and our gratitude. So, with all our energy we want to inspire and make people happy.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

Everything about Japan is amazing, in food, culture, people. We loved looking every day at the ocean and spending our 2 months residency in such beautiful landscapes. We enjoyed a lot that people are so polite and everything is so tidy on the streets. The food was nice and curious to try miso soup, fried octopus and green tea ice-cream. The temples we visited were wonderful to see and to admire their history. Awaji has touched our hearts and we enjoyed bringing a piece of our music and spirit to the birthplace of Japan.

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

We had great collaborations with our fellow artists-friends from the festival and had lots of fun. We remember how some people would dance with us and some being curious of what kind of music we play. Everywhere we went we made the best of it, from every performance place to all kinds of audience. We thank you for these experiences and may we see you soon!

Bête de Cirque

Acrobatics

Australia and France

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

We are duo “Rom & Ash” representing “Bête de Cirque”. Inviting you into our little world of circus, we aim to surprise, delight and motivate audiences with our dynamic energy. Juggling, hula-hooping, acrobatics and magic… You name it, we probably do it!

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

Awaji Island remains an absolutely mesmerizing piece of land! We adored how peacefully its people coexisted within its nature; letting the bamboo sway and the spiders play. Daily drives along the ocean sparked an appreciation for its wild geography and stunning sunsets. Our minds marveled at the complexity of the cuisine (tempura, anyone?) and our hearts humbled with the kindness of the Japanese people. We grew to respect the daily rituals of removing our shoes, bathing in the onsen (hot springs) and enjoying nourishing meals with hashi (chopsticks).

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

The most memorable moments of the festival include our performances within the local schools. Here, we’d adapt the show to a younger audience and have fun with involving their teachers! The kids were incredibly disciplined, with behavioral standards so different to what we know. They’d enter in complete silence and exit fighting to control their laughter after seeing their teacher dance on stage with hula hoops… it was just the best. We left wishing their teachers luck to calm them down for the next class. Everyday held great surprises; louder audiences, more exotic foods, sumo-wrestling and even free sake! Our time spent on Awaji Island was valuable in many ways and we hope to return. Thank you Awaji Art Circus!

Chloe Chignell

Contemporary dance

Australia

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

I am a dancer and choreographer. My performance work questions the body and bodily identity. It often presents uncanny and alienated images of the body and intra-body relations.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

The beautiful Landscapes were a highlight, It was very picturesque to perform next to oceans and mountains. At the Highway Oasis they sold Onion Pie which was delicious, I can’t even remember how many we ate. Matcha (Japanese green tea), Matcha, Matcha, everything matcha was my favourite— matcha latte, matcha chocolate, matcha mochi (rice cake), everything!

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

The big collaboration for the Closing Ceremony was a very fun and energetic performance. Also we performed once in the Awajishima Park, and afterwards took a workshop with the children who were playing in the park, it was very heartwarming to see all the children dancing with us.

Klavy

Pantomime, comedy

Russia

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

We are clown trio Klavy from Russia, St.Petersburg. In our show we are speaking about love, about the most important thing in the world! Our mission is to give a little bit more positive emotions to our audience lifes!

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

Our first place that we visited in Japan was Awaji Island! It's amazing place! The nature is very beautiful, the weather is fine! A lot of sun! We always tried to catch it!) Also we had time to learn Japanese culture! Temples, shrines, hot springs, master-classes of traditional Japanese dance, drums, we did postcards from the paper tree, Incense... And you know, there's not enough space here to describe variety of interesting things that you can discover in Awaji Island!

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

It is people that we’d like to tell you about!!! We have traveled a lot, but we had never seen such kind, responsive and pleasant people in communication! Awaji Island! Love forever!!!

MOKOSHO Project

Ukrainian folk song

Ukraine

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

We call ourselves “Ukrainian experimental folk art lab”, because we don’t want to create artificial frames for the art and creativity. The basis of our work is folklore – music, legends, tales, traditional arts, knowledge and wisdom of the ancestors. At the same time, we live in a contemporary world and can’t ignore it’s developing every day. That’s why we’re trying to mix traditions with modernity, so every person could find something essential for himself. With our performance, we want to create a space, something unusual, mystical, and magical, something out of this world, so people could stop and dip into this space for the time being and live this moment. Our music is our communication with the world and the audience.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

The Awaji Island is an absolutely wonderful place. We believe that nature gives people inspiration and strength to move forward, actually nature is the magic itself. That’s why here, in the Awaji Island, it feels like a line between the real world and another one is very thin, and nothing is impossible. It’s definitely the place of a great original power. We visited lots of places, and all of them are very dear to us. We were impressed by the Naruto whirlpool, by the calm and peaceful atmosphere of Izanagi and Izanami Shrine and small sacred places hidden all over the island, by the greatness of Tadao Ando’s masterpiece Awaji Yumebutai and the deep philosophical meaning behind the beauty of the memorial… Also, we had real fun during a traditional night festival, we literally bumped into it on our way to our accommodation and stopped to take part in it! We bought some very delicious sweets and took photos with locals.
By the way, almost all the food in the Awaji Island tastes like heaven, all of us are huge fans of Japanese cuisine, and food here is exceptional. It’s amazing how Japanese people can accentuate the main taste of food. The fish here is always very fresh, fruit are expensive comparing to Ukraine, but also delicious, and desserts! They are absolutely incredible. We even fell for traditional sweets with natto beans, which we tasted during our koto-playing workshop. We never tired of trying something new.
We also liked all the little things we experienced, which are actually rather big: “Irasshaimase!” (Welcome!) in a convenient store, a cup of coffee in a bus on a way to work and back, an onigiri (rice ball) between performances…

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

Our audience in the Awaji Island was very interested, sincere and responsive. Especially in Yumebutai, one of our favorite performing places. The acoustics there are great for singing and playing music, and every time we performed, people came to listen, they stayed with us from the beginning to the very end. There were people who actually waited for our next set and listened it twice or even three times in a row. Some people specially visited different spots where we performed, we really appreciate it, it’s so heartwarming!
And of course, it was a great pleasure to collaborate with other artists – Zoya.Pro, Barbarossa Samba Group, A&V, Anastasiia Ilina, McIntosh Jerahuni and Japanese Drummers Kotan!..
And just remembering all the workshops feels very “natsukashii” (nostalgic)!

Mozarts

Baroque dance on stilts

Serbia

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

We are performers, an actress and a dancer, who like to make people happy, to give them a piece of our soul through the art and to make them smile.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

Awaji Island is a real unique experience that people of Europe and other countries can learn. It is great not just because of the wealth of unique nature and sea, but also because of the local people, and the way that they respect and love their environment.

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

For Mozarts the best memorable moments were interactions with old people, who welcomed us very warmly and gratefully, as well as with small children, who watched stilts performers like a magical characters that came to life. And those moments when we lift them and carry through performance venue, watching them smiling are the most happy and the most rewarding moments for us.

Robert Alexander Prein

Dance, acting

The Netherlands

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

I seek to get to people in a way that is real/ honest and involves both humor and gets them thinking.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

I liked to walk on the island alone and have the feeling of being in another world where I could explore and have adventures. Having the danger of spiders and barking dogs waiting behind every tree while the sun went down and darkness rose over the land.... could I get back home in time.... and safely.... before some Japanese horror scene would begin to arise around me? :D Hahah

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

I had a few actually. Almost all of these involved the risk of completely changing my show and coming with something entirely new created on the spot or just the night before. For example, when I chose to invite the audience to a dancing workshop instead of having them watch me, the whole restaurant came to the stage. We had too much fun!! Another example was when I changed the regular stage to dance on the edge of a wall in front of the Ocean where people could watch the performance and see the ocean behind it. And lastly: Of course it is satisfying if, after your performance, people tell you to please come back the next year. That means you could reach out to them, inspire them, make them think, feel and enjoy that moment of their day! That's what we do it all for! :D (Y)
There are many more moments that were special to me, such as performing for a busload of children who were naturally responding to their primal emotions when seeing the show, and you just had fun teaching a child all you know about dance, of course, without understanding each other :D All these moments together made Awaji!

Sari Mäkelä

Comedy, Circus

Finland

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

I am a circus artist from Finland. In my performances I combine various circus techniques, clown and theater. For me the most important thing in performing is to create a story and a character that touches the audience, and keeps the audience interested untill the end of the show. I am a comedian, so laughter and making people smile is also extremely big part of my performances.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

Awaji is a beautiful old island. Nature, farms, small villages with traditional houses is quite magical. It is not a big touristic attraction, so the island has reserved its authentic uniqueness. Definitely a place to see real Japanese life.

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

What I most enjoyed in the festival was the performances at local schools. The children were very excited to see performers and curious about our origins. Some of the children had never seen circus performances and it was an honor to perform to these children and get a warm response.

Tatenda Chabz

African fusion dance

Zimbabwe

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

I am a performer Tatenda Chabz, who was born and raised in Zimbabwe. I was trained in many disciplines of performing art in Zimbabwe and I have worked with a giant contemporary dance company - Tumbuka Dance Company (Zimbabwe). Currently I’m working with four dance companies, travel a lot locally and internationally as a dancer. As an artist, I am never satisfied with my performance, and I like to challenge myself and to learn new things. My motto is “If you can think it you can do it!”
When I’m performing, I always make sure that the audience have something to learn from my performance. And when I’m on the stage, I do everything that I can do for the audience. When I perform I tell the story to the audience, so I try to express my feelings clearly.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

This time when I was in Japan it was the first time for me to stay in Asia, so everything was new for me. It was a different world to me. I was impressed with the way they live and I just found out that there are a lot of active old people different from those in my country. I was impressed with how hard Japanese people work and how responsible they feel about their duties. I also enjoyed having Japanese meal and even haven’t missed Zimbabwean food for two months spent in Japan.

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

Awaji Yumebutai was one of my best venues during the festival and it made my choreography a different piece. Also at Awaji Yumebutai I had the best audience ever because they were so concentrated in watching my performance and I really felt that they are inside my story. I have learnt a lot when I did a duet with Anastasia Ilina because that was my first time doing a dance piece with a contortionist. The creation process was quite challenging as we work in different genres, but at the end we had an interesting performance to show the audience. It was the first experience for me, so I am very happy that we managed to create something beautiful, something that we had never done before.. During the festival I did quite a number of collaborations with dancers, musicians and different artists from different countries. That experience was very important for me. I have learnt a lot and I will always remember what I felt.

UNA MIKA

Percussion circus

Spain

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

UNA MIKA’s artist statement is Magic and Smiles. UNA MIKA aims to create immersive environments where the audience can experiences different sensations while being encouraged to participate in the performance. UNA MIKA creates shows close to the viewers to attract their curiosity and enrich their imagination while using artistic, educational and technological elements that cannot be ignored.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

One of the most powerful experience that I had was the Nature power and the amazing ambient the island have. Awaji is a magical place to feel good and peaceful. The people is so friendly and very curious, that is amazing. About the food, the most incredible onions and the best beef I´d never tried so far :). The temples are incredible beautiful and mystical! Anyone who visits Awaji Island falls in love with it!

3. Tell us about the most memorable moments of your performance during the Awaji Art Circus.

For me the most incredible experience I had as an artist, was the performances in different schools on Awaji Island. The children were so happy and so grateful for my show! That made me feel great!
That is the best part of my job – to make grown-ups and children around the world happy!
And Awaji Arts Circus experience will be in my heart forever!

ZOYA.PRO

Contemporary Dance

Belarus and Russia

INTERVIEW

1. Please tell us about yourself in two words.

Anna: I'm a dancer from Belarus. On this festival I'm happy to be a part of ZOYA.PRO. For me our performance is a way of communication. I see people more open and curious. And doesn't matter what language we speak. We have our moments.

Lena: It is necessary to create the atmosphere of magic during the performance for the audience to feel that they are a part of something unusual and important.

2. What did you like about Awaji Island?

Anna: Awaji Island is a very impressive place. First, we were living in a beautiful place. And of course everything I saw was special for me. Nature, people, places, and food. I like the shrines on Awaji and the atmosphere there. I’m happy that we had an opportunity to discover this island and Japanese culture. And even more - to meet and communicate with people in everyday life.

Lena: I liked Awaji nature most of all – sea, sun, different animals that are living so closed to people.

Anna: There were a lot of memorable moments. It’s complicated to choose one. It seems for me that I can choose one from every day. We saw different faces every day. I can say that the most memorable moments are mostly about the audience. It was very touching when we received a letter from kids that saw our show and liked us very much. I still have it. And of course talking about collaborations, the best moments we had was with MOKOSHO Project. I still remember my feelings when we tried it first time, watching sun through the tree during our dance. And everything was filled with sound.

Lena; One day a little girl, who came to Awaji Art Circus, was watching our performance very-very attentively. She was watching us with all her heart. And although we were very tired after performing for the whole month, we realized the true meaning and importance of our performance through girl’s eyes and received a lot of energy from her. That was really memorable moment.


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