Translator: Yoshinari Fukuzawa Reviewer: Claire Ghyselen
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(Music)
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First, thank you for the meal.
Did you enjoy the performance? Nice to meet you. My name is BANG.
(Applause)
I am an artist and a dancer.
I perform animation dances such as this one.
Animation dance is not a concept we are very familiar to.
When we think about dance,
we comes up with all sorts of genres:
it could be break dance, with the dancer spinning on his head.
Acrobatics is not my kind of dance,
but I do use robot style dancing,
like renegade robots in a thriller movie.
Robot dancing is central to my art.
I'm a sucker for animation dances. I can talk for hours about it.
But it's reserved for maniacs.
Dance can be more simple.
Today, I want to talk about this kind of simple dance.
My understanding of the definition of dance,
is that it is an extension of our body language.
I'm sure that you are all using a lot of body language every day,
"Good morning", "Hi", and "I'm sorry."
I'm sure you have used
a lot of body language since the morning.
The same way that language has developed into sign language,
surprising things arising from entertainment
have developed into dancing performances.
Today, I would like to share with you a very short dance performance
that I normally do in live show and use it to communicate with you.
Are you ready?
OK.
Since you guys all have a pair of amazing hands,
I will borrow them for a while.
Can you show me your hands?
That's nice. It looks like a concert hall. That's cool!
It feels like we can call a spaceship!
Let's do something very important. As you know, the devil hides in details.
Details have a vital role in my performances.
Let's do something awesome our fingers.
Let's first start with an easy one. If you are ready, join me!
If I close my fist, close your fist. Yes! If I open my hand, open yours! Yes!
I do a peace sign; so do you! Yes! I show "One", you too!
Let's synchronize with the rhythm: one, two, one, two.
Let's dance together until the end.
I am a performer, so I love to try more challenging things.
It will become progressively harder. We are not equal before dance.
If you get awkward, if you feel it's difficult,
if you can't follow - it could happen from time to time -
remember you have two hands. In dire time, clap your hands.
If you feel you cannot do it at all,
I'm afraid you will be clapping your hands during two minutes.
All right. Give me your hands! Now!
The rhythm is one, two, one, two.
Let's start easily. Let's go!
Yes, the staff can join us too. One, two...
Fist - Open - Fist - Open - Fist - Open.
One, two. You're good.
If some of you can't do it now, clap your hands.
There's no one? Now, it a bit tougher.
Put your hands in front of you.
Spread and close the middle finger and the ring fingers.
Are you ready? One, two, one, two, one, two.
You should not laugh! Shall we do it faster?
One, two, one, two, one, two, one, two.
(Applause)
Don't give up too early! It's not over.
Now, should we make it a bit easier? Put up your hands up.
Can you close your fingers only?
Fingers, Open, fingers, open, fingers, open.
You're doing fine! Nice finger closing. Now, let's use your dominant hand.
From the finger closed position, extend your fingers, one by one.
Index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger.
Feeling good? It feels like you can go on.
Now, let's do this really quickly. Ready?
Follow my speed.
Three,two, one. Hit it.
1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2.
(Applause)
Thank you.
This is not any usual movement for the hand.
Some of you might feel frustrated.
Practice a little bit, and bring it back home to your family.
You can hold back dementia by doing this trick!
Remember that dance is a communication tool,
an extension of body language.
Similarly, performance does not use words.
On the contrary, it transmits things that cannot be conveyed by words.
This is the real thrill of dance.
In a live show, everyone is jumping around and waving their hands.
You can do it too.
I would like to do a last dance with you.
As our fingers are warmed-up, let's do a finger-only dance.
It's called "Water and Life".
When I choreograph such a dance, I ponder every details.
Many many things are very important.
I can't point at a one thing and say, "This is the most important."
Music is definitely vital because it creates the theme.
There are three important things:
The theme, this place and its atmosphere,
and the dance choreography dedicated to you.
These three things combine together
to become a dance entertainment show.
When I listened to the music that you are going to listen to,
I imagined something quite vague, like "water."
This is how water becomes the theme.
My choreography will evolve around this theme.
I hope that you will enjoy and connect with my dance.
Then I thought a bit more.
I realised that without water,
however strong, however enduring,
in places without a drop of water,
absolutely no animal can survive.
Isn't water the barometer for the presence of life?
We discovered Mars and sent satellites searching for traces of water.
Because if there were any, it means that life might exist there.
Because of that, in my performance, water is life.
Water and life are the two parts of an equation.
My first dance at the beginning was called "The Gift of Life".
The life that we receive. The life that animates us.
The dance we've done together,
it's called "Finger Warming-Up."
The last dance that I dedicate to you is called "Water and Life."
I will perform something that can't be put into words.
There are many ways to understand it.
I am very excited to see how you will engage with my dance,
what will be your interpretation of my non-verbal message to you.
I would like to thank you before I start. Enjoy the lance dance "Water and Life".
(Applause)
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