Hiroaki Umeda / Company: S20 (Japan)
Whilst going to a condition and Accumulated Layout
A new discovery for UK audiences, Hiroaki is one of Japan’s most exciting young dancer/choreographers on the international arts scene. His influences range from butoh to hip-hop, and he also creates his own soundscapes and visual environments that make for original visual and sensorial experiences.
‘Geometric strips of black and white lines flickered behind him on a large screen, synchronized to an electronic score, which despite sharp dips into crackling static was as rhythmical as a fervent drum solo.’ New York Times
Hiroaki Umeda is a pluri-disciplinary artist: choreographer, dancer, sound, image and lighting designer. His work is minimal and radical, subtle and violent, and very much in touch with his contemporary Japanese roots.
Hiroaki Umeda was born in 1977 and currently lives and works in Tokyo. He studied photography at Nihon University, Japan and decided to start dancing at the age of 20 having trained in classical ballet and hip-hop.
Production: Théâtre national de Chaillot and S20 with La Chaufferie (DCA)