Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollak Dance Company/Saitama Arts Fondation Création 2007
While creating “Hydra” a very good friend introduced us to the fascinating life and work of the beloved Japanese author Kenji Miyazawa. Miyazawa was trained as a geologist and believed, profoundly, that all living creatures are brothers and that happiness – in the truest sense – is impossible for the individual to attain unless he also seeks the happiness of all other living things.
In his geological work, Kenji would roam the countryside studying rocks and plants. He’d also observe and record the spontaneous feelings and ideas that occurred to him and the ways in which they interacted. He called these his mental sketches.
Although his fiction is not about geology it is impossible not to experience his “mental sketches” in his literature. Similarly, although it was not our intention to create a work based on Miyazawa, we feel his presence throughout the piece, nonetheless.
The titles of our shows are not meant as definitive road maps to specific
destinations but rather as metaphors to stimulate imagination – our own as well as that of the audience. We are affected and influenced by many things during the process of creating each piece.
“Campanella”. said Giovanni, sighing deeply, “we’re alone again. Let’s stay together until the end of the earth, okay ? If I could be like that scorpion and do something for the benefit of all people, I wouldn’t care if my body burnt up a hundred times over.”
“Me too,” said Campanella, his eyes welling with the clearest tears.
“But what is real happiness, Campanella ?”
“Don’t ask me,” he answered dreamily.”
“We’ll keep our spirits up, won’t we ?” said Giovanni, taking a deep breath and feeling a new strength gushing through him.
“Hey, there’s the Coal Sack !” cried Campanella, pointing to a spot in the Milky Way and leaning back as he did so. “It’s a hole in the sky !”
Kenji Miyazawa | Night On The Milky Way Train
Distribution
Choreography, Costumes, Set & Music Design : Inbal Pinto, Avshalom Pollak
Lighting Designer : Yoann Tivoli
Music : J.S Bach, Lionel Belasco, Gavin Bryars, Michael Convertino, Gaucelm Faidit, Giya Kancheli, Seigen Ono, Arvo Part, Henry Purcell, Trad Smedish.
Original Cast : Michal Almogi, Artur Astman, Ido Batash, Zvi Fishzon, Igal Furman, Lazaro Godoy, Shay Haramaty, Noga Harmelin, Shir Medwetzki, Andreas Merk, Naomi Nissim, Shai Pratt, Dana Shoval, Nir Tamir