Actor Takuma Usa will appear in the dance stage show BREAK FREE STARS at IHI Stage Around Tokyo starting October 23.

 

The show is an original work based on the non-verbal dance work BREAK FREE by Go Ueki, the first Japanese creator to win the Asian Arts Award for Best Performance at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest theater festival, in 2018. Shinjirou Kameda and Takahito Onishi wrote the adaptation for the stage.

 

The high-energy dance show takes place in a city where hip-hop is banned and focuses on the conflict between hip-hop stars and prison guards. It promises to make full use of video and lighting to bring the story to life.

 

<Summary>

New City is a metropolis full of people from all walks of life. In this incredible place, you can have it all. There’s one thing you can’t have, however–freedom. Young people gather at the club ‘BREAK FREE,’ a sacred space for hip-hop lovers, to search for peace of mind and a bit of freedom that no one can take away.

 

However…

 

The government announces the Hip-Hop Prohibition, taking away these young people’s freedom. BREAK FREE’s hip-hop stars are thrown into jail and dubbed dangerous criminals.

 

Hip-hop is not a crime. In order to take back their freedom and protect their music, the jailed stars must fight back against an overwhelmingly powerful force.

Calling all dancers! Starting August 5, Adobe began the Adobe DANCE VIDEO FES, which is accepting dance video submissions until August 31, 2022. Those wanting to participate will be dancing to one of four songs by a few very unique artists: Dodonpa by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Emome no Natsu by Lucky Kilimanjaro, STARLIGHT by iri, and WOO! GO! by Atarashii Gakko! The campaign challenges contestants to create a dance video in which they show off their original dance moves to the song of their choice. These videos can be easily edited using Adobe Premiere Rush, a piece of software that can also be installed on smartphones.   If you’re not incredibly confident in your dance moves, don’t worry. Rather than contestants being judged on their technical or editing skills, dancers will be evaluated on the amount of fun they have! The event is meant to emulate the excitement of a summer festival, so both beginners and pros are invited to participate. Just record your dance and upload it to YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok with the designated hashtag.   If the video you upload is selected by one of the participating artists, it will be featured in the official campaign dance video. Creators will also have the opportunity to appear in the artists’ live performances and dance videos in the future.   In addition, a total of 22 entrants will be selected by drawing to receive Sennheiser wireless headphones, a 12-month Adobe Creative Cloud Complete Plan, a pair of tickets to the D.LEAGUE 22-23 season opener, or an Amazon gift certificate worth ¥30,000.  

Comments from Participating Artists

  Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: "Dodonpa is a song that’s perfect for all kinds of dances, so I hope that you’ll dance in your own special way! I’m hoping I can find an amazing dancer to perform with me at my Budokan show on October 19, so I’m looking forward to hearing from you!"   Lucky Kilimanjaro: "Our band’s concept is to surprise the world every day, so we were so honored that our song was chosen! We hope you’ll express yourself and show us your unique dances!"   iri: “My new song STARLIGHT is a difficult song to choreograph, so I’m really looking forward to seeing the dances you come with!”   Atarashii Gakko!: “We’re happy to announce that our song WOO! GO! has been chosen as a track for Adobe DANCE VIDEO FES! I hope you can add some really cool edits to your videos so that they reach the largest amount of people! Whoever submits the most impressive video will get to appear in an official dance video. We’re waiting to see your dances!”   Enter this contest with the same energy as if you were participating in a summer festival!

The Japanese hip-hop girls group XG is continuing to trend worldwide with the release of their second single MASCARA on June 29, 2022. The song reached #1 on the iTunes Song Chart (Alternative) in 17 countries.   For those obsessed with the choreography, the group has released two MASCARA dance practice videos on YouTube! Fans can enjoy a fixed camera version and a moving camera version, the latter of which highlights each member individually. The group’s sophisticated and extremely synchronized dance moves never cease to amaze. It almost seems like their hair is dancing along too!   MASCARA - XG (Dance Practice Fix ver.) 

  MASCARA - XG (Dance Practice Moving ver. )

We can’t wait to see what XG does in the future!

UWS AQUARIUM GA☆KYO, an aquarium inspired by Japanese traditions and legends, opened at Aqua City Odaiba on July 13, 2022. The curious aquarium and art facility is split into five spaces, each based on a particular Japanese legend or tradition.    Area 1 - WABISABI     Area 2 - OIRAN   Area 3 - MANGEKYO   Area 4 - YURAKU   Area 5 - RYUGU   Virtual Goldfish ScoopingThis mixture of aquarium and entertainment venue was produced by GA☆KYO. Each of the five spaces invites guests to understand and appreciate a particular part of Japanese traditional culture, as well as to experience the beauty of living things. Come enjoy this unique installation the next time you’re in Tokyo!

On July 13, UWS AQUARIUM GA☆KYO, an aquarium inspired by Japanese traditions and legends, will open at Aqua City Odaiba. Separated into five unique sections, this curious aquarium is located in a shopping complex popular with locals and tourists alike. UWS AQUARIUM GA☆KYO will depict five aspects of traditional Japanese life and history: Wabi-sabi, Oiran, Mangekyo (Kaleidoscope), Yuraku, and Ryuugu. These will be explained below if you aren’t familiar.  

Area

  WABISABI Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic in Japanese art centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. In the aquarium, this is shown by using delicate driftwood, bonsai, and crystal. Characteristics of wabi-sabi include asymmetry, simplicity, and roughness. OIRAN An Oiran was a high-ranking courtesan in Japanese history. In this work, goldfish are surrounded by beautiful and enchanting features inspired by these gorgeous women. MANGEKYO Mangekyo is the Japanese word for kaleidoscope. This collaborative work invites viewers into a unique space filled with paintings by Tsuyoshi Nigamushi along with disco balls. You’ll want to snap some trippy pictures! YURAKU This special exhibition invites guests to experience virtual goldfish scooping and fortune-telling. Made using modern technology in a space inspired by Japan’s four seasons, yuraku means pleasure in Japanese. RYUGU Ryuugu refers to the Palace of the Dragon King found in the ancient tale of Urashima Taro. This spatial work will utilize the sea around Odaiba and transport visitors to another place and time.   Come enjoy these five unique spaces with your five senses and become more acquainted with traditional Japanese beauty.

teamLab Borderless, a digital art museum currently housed in Odaiba’s Mori Building, will be moving to a more central location in Tokyo in 2023. In preparation for the move, the Odaiba location will close on August 31, and tickets for July and August are available now. Each ticket must be purchased ahead of visiting, and each specifies a date and time for entry. Tickets are available while supplies last. 

 teamLab 'Forest of Resonating Lamps - One Stroke' ©teamLab

 

teamLab Borderless opened in Odaiba in June 2018 and features a group of artworks that form one borderless world. Artworks move out of rooms and communicate with other works, influencing other pieces and sometimes intermingling with each other with no boundaries. They also shift depending on the season. In its first year, the museum attracted 2.3 million visitors, surpassing the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands to become the most popular single artist’s museum in the world. People from over 160 countries and regions visited, and in 2019, teamLab Borderless broke a world record for the most visitors to a museum showcasing art from a single artist. Borderless received numerous national and international awards, including being named one of the World’s Greatest Places 2019 by Time Magazine and receiving a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement at the 25th Annual Thea Awards.

Highlight Video: https://youtu.be/VowWhpZzH24 The 10,000 square meter complex will be open until August 31, offering visitors a singular experience through a borderless world of art. Expectations are high for the museum’s new location, scheduled to open in central Tokyo in 2023.  teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM will be open in Toyosu until the end of 2023.