Flowing traffic, pulsating lights, throngs of people. Standstill. Every city has its own rhythm. Yui Kawaguchi and Aki Takase present them as microcosm under a magnifying glass and through a mixture of choreography, composition and improvisation. They design a new, utopian city – the city in a piano. In 2008 the dancer invited the jazz pianist onto the stage for the first time, since then they have been continuously spinning their web of dialogue together.

The concert piano is the central tool of the evening’s performance. Aki Takase’s virtuoso mastery of the entire body of this instrument separates it acoustically into its individual components, and creates links between intertwined harmonies, isolated tones and manipulated timbres. Yui Kawaguchi delves into theses sound spheres and forms new structures and physical spaces through dance. A dialogue begins between two strong personalities and two expressive art forms.

CHOREOGRAPHY, DANCE Yui Kawaguchi COMPOSITION, PIANO Aki Takase LIgHT, Technics Fabian Bleisch STAGE DESIGN Yui Kawaguchi/  LAB:612, Modellbau T.Kraus COSTuMes SADAK PRESS Ruth Hundsdoerfer COMPANY MANAGEMENT Marie Henrion

Produced by Yui Kawaguchi and Aki Takase in coproduktion with Museum of Art, Kochi (Japan), Philharmonie Luxembourg and SOPHIENSÆLE. In collaboration with Nico and the Navigators, Centrum Kultury Agora Wroclaw and Osterfestival Tirol. Funded by Hauptstadtkulturfonds. Special thanks to Yamaha.

photos © Acci Baba

collage: graphics © Acci Baba (photo Yui © Acci Baba, Foto Aki © Georg Tuskany)