January 29, Sunday at 7:00 – 10:00 PM
at Unitarian Church and Centre of Vancouver on Oak Street at 49th Avenue.

This will start with a performance (mime and dance) of Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” by Yayoi Hirano, mime artist, with Sara Davis Buechner and Chihiro Honma at the piano.

The title of the talk by Koko Kondo, the special speaker invited from Japan, is “Living with Hiroshima: My memories of 66 years” . She will share with the audience her life history and how Hiroshima has changed her life and her varied work for peace

Ms. Kondo is the daughter of late Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto of Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church who first revealed first hand details of the tragedies of the A-bomb in Hiroshima to American journalist John Hearsey who interviewed Rev. Tanimoto in 1946. What Hearsey had learned from Rev. Tanimoto became the basis for the famous book by Hearsey, “Hiroshima”. Koko Kondo was educated in Japan and the United States. She is active as International Spokesperson for Survivors of Hiroshima A-Bomb, International Adviser of Children as the Peacemakers Foundation, Member of the Board of Directors of Hiroshima Peace Center Foundation, and Guest Instructor for Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Tour of American University and Ritsumeikan University, among others.

Reception will follow.
Admission by donation.

Contact information: Tara-Lee MacNiven (after October 13)
Email. ; Tel. 604-261-7204

YAYOI THEATRE MOVEMENT SOCIETY (YTMS) is making preparations for the official production of Identity – Ancestral Memory which is going to be performed at Stanley Industrial Alliance Revue Stage on Granville Island in May, 2011.

This production is a collaboration with Jay Hirabayashi, a director and a dancer with KOKORO DANCE. Jay himself is a Nikkei Sansei; third generation Japanese Canadian. It’s going to be a sensational performance work.

Identity showcases various techniques; such as mime, dance, Noh play, Kyogen play, traditional Japanese dances, motion images, live koto play (a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument), and live shakuhachi play (Japanese bamboo flute) . It is a fusion of Japanese traditional performances and contemporary dances. It is inspired by the poems and the words of Japanese Canadian artists. The Nikkei Nisei painter, photographer,and poet, Roy Kiyooka was the biggest source of inspiration. The identity of Japanese Canadians is juxtaposed with videos of interviews of people in Japan talking about identity.

YTMS presented the “working on progress” production of Identity at Centre A in Vancouver for three days in April 2010. Approximately 350 spectators came to the shows. All were impressed by the performance. In this production YTMS included some special events, such as a symposium and a related film work. The reviews in various media spoke highly of the production. The reviews appeared not only in Greater Vancouver area, but also in Ontario. It was also featured in the Toronto Nikkei Voice. The production was praised for its theme and high quality.

Yayoi, artistic director of YTMS, was moved to produce Identity when she discovered a dramatic connection between her mother’s experiences and those of Japanese Canadians. Her mother repatriated to Japan from China after World WarⅡ. Like Japanese Canadians, Yayoi’s mother suffered great hardship during and after the war. By probing the duality of Japanese Canadians’ identity, YTMS explores what identity is.

【Title】

Identity – Ancestral Memory
 

【Schedule】

May 12(Thu) -  May 14 (Sat)  8:00pm~

【Venue】

Revue Stage

1601 Johnston St. Vancouver ( on Granville Island)

【Tickets】

$25(general) $22 (seniors) $20(students)

Plus service charges

【Concept / Director】

Yayoi Hirano

【Choreographer】

Jay Hirabayashi

【Stage Performers】

YAYOI, Jay Hirabayashi, Carolyn Chan, Tomoko Hanawa

【Video Participants】

Harry Aoki, Roy Miki, Linda Ohama,

Judy Nakagawa, Takeo Yamashiro, John Endo Greenaway

【Musicians】

Koto (Japanese Harp): Kozue Matsumoto

Shakuhachi (Japanese Bamboo Flute): Minoru Yamamoto

【Creative Team】

Production Manager : David Warburton

Lighting Designer: Gerald King

Visual Designer: Shebnem Ospeta

Photographer: Yukiko Onley

Graphic Designer: Ryoko Ninagawa

Videographers: Takeshi Yonekura (Canada)

Hiroshi Kawauchi (Kouchi, Japan)

Yusuke Yuguchi (Tokyo, Japan)

Music for “Finger Print” : Joseph Hirabayashi

【Show Length】

75mins.

【Produced by】

YAYOI THEATRE MOVEMENT SOCIETY

【Sponsors】

BC Arts Council, City of Vancouver, escapes.ca

【Media Sponsors】

Vancouver Shinpo, Fraser Monthly

【Supporters】

Grace Eiko Thomson, Centre A

Angela Hollinger, Doug Owen,

Naoko Shimada, Goushi Yonekura

Yukari Sato, Yukiko Anthony, Makiko Yoshii

Tomoko Shimada, Naoto Horita,

Ruriko Taylor, Cindy Mochizuki

Top Scene Inc.(Tokyo Japan),

Mamoru Hiraoka , Moritaka Matsumoto

Kana Kiyooka , Matsuki Masutani

Kayo Kitakomi ,Mikiya Kadota, Masako Matsuda

【Contact Information】

YAYOI THEATRE MOVEMENT SOCIETY

(Tel. 1-604-739-7760)

*Kimono dressing

*Photography by a professional photographer

“Sakura Days Japan Fair” VanDusen Botanical Garden on Saturday,

April 2nd and Sunday, April 3rd.

*Photographer : Yukiko Onley

Japanese fine portrait photographer based in Vnacouver

http://www.yukikoonley.com/

*Fee: $250.00/person or $450.00/couple 

April 2nd (Sat)  2:00pm / 3:00pm

April 3rd (Sun) 12noon / 1::30pm

(The required time is approximately 1.5 hours.)

*Reservation only  48hours Notice

Tel : 604-739-7760

*Inquiries/Reservation – Contact us at info@yayoitheatremovement.com