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Presentation of the Project: « Borderless 2024 »,

A two weeks « Jean Laurent Sasportes and Friends » Japan Tour 2024, between August 26th and September 09th. 2024. As the two years ago project « Beyond the Sea 2022 », I worked together with Benedicte Billiet as well for the creation of « Waiting for you », as for our improvisation performances and the workshop week at Izuruba.


— Many years ago,

By invitation of  Takashi Ito and the choreographer Naoko Ito, founders and directors of the Dance Academy « Session House » in Tokyo, I started my teaching, performing and choreographing work in Japan in 1999 and, from this time, I could travel regularly to Japan to work with Japanese artists throughout the country.
Also thanks to mister Takashi Ito, I could meet the great musician and composer Tetsu Saitoh in 2004, and from this meeting, we started  a very productive collaboration. The result of these almost fifteen years of collaboration were many dance-theatre pieces,  performed in Europe, South America, Japan, Korea, and by that, created an active cultural bridge between Japanese and European artists.
It is possible to read about all those years of collaboration at the following address:

http://www.jsasportes.com/main/duos-tetsu.php


- First of all,

It is very important for me to mention my great recognition to our collaboration partners for this japan tour 2024. Once again, after the great 2022 Japan tour, Miyuki Kitera and Eri Fukahori, made this dream possible again.

Thank you so much to Miyuki Kitera, who made possible the first week project, ASTIM.
Thank you so much to Eri Fukahori and her Performance Group « Holidays »,
Please visit:  - https://holidays2022.themedia.jp
Eri Fukahori and her dancers/actress present the first part of the evening with a new creation « Books ».

For the second week of this Japan Tour 2024, we have to thanks Eri Fukahori, who organised the Program of the three performances, and the workshop week for Benedicte and myself at Izuruba (Tokyo).
We have to thanks also mister Yahagi Yoshihiro and the dancer Ryotaro Yahagi who are the owners and directors of the Izuruba Studio and Performing Place. They allowed us to use this great space for very good conditions.

I would like also to thank you very much the great friend and musician Masao Tajima.
As well as the technical crew of the group « Holidays » for the Seiryo Kaikan Hall performance (Waiting for You"), and Mr. Hiroshi Murakami (lights) and Mr. Kondo Masanori (photo and video).
Without this persons, such a project would have never been possible.


- Within this project « Japan Tour 2024 » -

  "Waiting for You" at the Seiryo Kaikan Hall:
The first week was dedicated to the project ASTIM, organised by Miyuki Kitera. project supported by the Seiryo Kaikan.  She planned a double-bill dance performance and workshop at Seiryo Kaikan, where she is employed.

The goal of this project was to work with a group of students who were interested in being introduced to dance-theatre. After a three days workshop and rehearsals, we were asked to present to the public the result of this three days of creative work. The group of 13 people who attempted  to the workshop was composed of all ages participants (from 18 to 73), with very small or none experience in dance and in performing art. The work went very well, the participants showed a beautiful and sincere cooperation. The dance-theatre piece « Waiting for You » was presented to the public (two performances). It received a great success, and we hope for Miss Miyuki Kitera that this project is going to be the first of many other project that she will organise for the Seiryo Kaikan.
for more details about this three performances please click here.


  Workshop and Improvisation evenings at Izuruba Studio:
The second week of this tour 2024, was dedicated to Izuruba Studio.
as well as in 2022, Benedicte and me proposed one week workshop (three class a day).
« Jansannotaiso » ( Soft bodywork created boy Jean Laurent Sasportes, and a Kinomichi work ( Soft Martial Art created by master Masamichi Noro), both taught by Jean Laurent Sasportes.
and, one modern-dance workshop for all-level dancers taught by Benedicte Billiet.

we also could propose to the public of Izuruba three improvisation performances. for more details about this three performances please click here.



- About our Japan Tour Project (2022 and 2024)

The general concept of this Project is to meet Japanese artists, to introduce our work to a Japanese public for future collaborations and cultural exchanges, and to invite those Japanese artists to present their work to the public in Germany and Europe. This was also one of the great activities that I could share with Tetsu Saitoh between 2006, and 2019. During this period, many cultural events organised by Tetsu Saitoh and myself have been presented to the public, as well through Japan as through Europe.
Since a part of my artistic collaboration work with Tetsu was based also in cultural and artists exchanges between Japan and Germany, it is important for me to keep on this activity alive.

«  to allow artists coming from different culture, different countries, different field, to meet each other and to work together, is like spreading seeds of beautiful plants and flowers through the gardens of the world »   - Jean Laurent Sasportes

In parallel to our project of touring Japan in 2022, and in 2024, the video artists Masanori Kondo, resident in Tokyo, did follow this tour in order to make a documentary film about this great event. Thank you very much for his great work !

For the purpose of this tour, Eri Fukahori, on behalf of her Company, was able to obtain a grant from the Japanese institution: Art Council Japan. This grant, was part of our financial support from Japan.