The Scream
“Compañía Internacional de Flamenco Shoji Kojima” Festival de Jerez 2023 ©Ana Palma
Program Information
| Genre | Dance |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2 May at 14:00 |
| Venue | Medium Hall Earth, Granship |
| Duration | 60 minutes or less |
| Language | – |
| Seat | Reserved seating |
| Original idea, dramaturgy, direction and performance | KOJIMA Shoji |
| Musical director | CHICUELO |
| Production | Estudio Kojima, Co., Ltd. |
Introduction
At 85 years old, the dancer KOJIMA Shoji is a living legend and still-sparkling star in the Flamenco world. Now he says his latest production, “The Scream”, was inspired by the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch’s eponymous work that he saw at the National Gallery in Oslo in 2016. He then created this piece, which combines songs by some of the many great artists whose work he has danced to through his long career. So, in this special one-off solo event at SPAC, Kojima will draw on all this and more to explore such issues as life and death, love, artistic anguish and the absurdities of daily life. You are warned!
Director’s profile
KOJIMA Shoji
KOJIMA Shoji was born in Tokushima Prefecture in 1939. While studying vocal music at Musashino Academia Musicae, he encountered flamenco. In 1966, he traveled to Spain and performed with the National Ballet of Spain and other companies.
After returning to Japan in 1976, he has continued to create original works and give performances around the world every year. Even at the age of 85, he remains an active flamenco dancer.
With SPAC, he first participated in the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka 2013 with his solo piece “Living Between Life and Death – Dedicated to the Soul of Federico”, which received high acclaim. In 2018, he presented the Japan premiere of “Simulacrum”, a collaboration with a contemporary dancer from Argentina.
His major awards in Japan include the Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts (Dance Division), the Medal with Purple Ribbon, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, and designation as a Person of Cultural Merit.
Cast / Staff
Original idea, dramaturgy, direction and performance: KOJIMA Shoji
Musical director, Guitar: CHICUELO
Cante(Song): El Londro, Miguel “El Lavi”, Joaquín Gómez “El Duende”
Baile(Dance): KOJIMA Shoji
ARMONIA (CHINEN Hibiki, URUSHIBATA Shinobu, ISHIKAWA Keiko)
Ballet Shoji Kojima Flamenco (YANAGIYA Ayumi, MATSUDA Tomoya)
Lighting design: IWASHINA Takeaki
Sound design: MAKISHIMA Koji (S.C.ALLIANCE)
Production: Estudio Kojima, Co., Ltd.
Notice
* Please tell us beforehand if you want to see the show with preschool children.
