Famed Contemporary Dancers Perform at TCM
Dance Workshop in September
The Contemporary Museum will present a
performance of contemporary improvisatory
dance, Infinite Transparency, by
internationally renowned Japanese dancer
Shizuno Nasu and Hawaii dancer Karen Masaki
on September 12 at 2 p.m. The
performance is free to the public with
museum entry through the generous
sponsorship of James and Reiko Brandon,
Joanne Shigekane, Thayer Piano Co., Ltd.,
Hisako Wada, Julie Kimura Walters, and Riley
Jaschke. The dance will be performed
in the galleries of the exhibition,
Yoshihiro Suda, a hyper-realistic minimalist
display of hand-carved, hand-painted
botanicals by Japanese artist Yoshihiro Suda.
Nasu and Masaki will also present a dance
workshop at TCM, Dance for Body and Mind,
for interested students at any level, from
beginner to advanced. This workshop
includes warm-up exercises that are based on
Hara Tanden Chi energy via the elements.
Participants will experience Nasu's unique
movement approach to balancing mind and
body, centering self, and creating energy
through physical expression. The class will
be taught by Nasu and Masaki in the
downstairs gallery of The Contemporary
Museum on Sunday, September 13, from 10:30
a.m. to 12 Noon. Registration for the
workshop is limited. To register
contact Quala-Lynn at
qlyoung@tcmhi.org
or (808) 237-5217. Workshop fee
is $15 per person.
Karen Masaki studied piano and violin in her
youth and began her dance training at
Oberlin College. Her mother instilled
in Masaki a deep and abiding love for the
arts and continues to be an inspirational
model for a life lived fully and vibrantly
in service to the arts.
Masaki holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in
dance from the University of Hawai'i, has
performed in dance companies in
Philadelphia, New York and Honolulu, taught
at private studios and community colleges in
Honolulu, and toured the islands with her
solo dances. Masaki's love of dance
improvisation grew exponentially as a result
of several workshops with famed dancer and
trailblazer Daniel Nagrin.
Recently relocated to Volcano, Masaki
co-teaches a dance class at East Hawai'i
Cultural Center (EHCC) with Nasu. The
two have performed at several venues on the
Big Island and in Japan and will be
performing at EHCC in December 2009 with
Butoh dancer and former Honolulu resident,
Maureen Freehill.
From 1992-2003, Masaki was the Program
Officer for Culture & Arts at Hawai'i
Community Foundation. In addition to
her dance work, she is now a partner in the
consulting firm The Cultural+Planning Group,
specializing in organizational assessments
and strategic planning for nonprofit
organizations. Masaki is also a member
of the Board of Directors of East Hawai'i
Cultural Council.
Shizuno Nasu was born in Osaka, Japan.
Her parents enrolled her in classical ballet
class at three after she suffered a terrible
burn on her left arm. At seven, she was
chosen as an exchange student with the
Bolshoi Ballet. She debuted
professionally at age 19. She also studied
ballet, tap, jazz, and other Western dance
techniques at the Osaka Institute of Art.
By age 35, running three studios with more
than 100 students Nasu had little time for
her own creative work and expression.
She closed her studios and moved to a remote
village in the mountains of Niigata,
Northern Japan. She trekked six miles
to buy groceries each day, in the heat of
summer and in the deep snows of winter.
She then moved to Paris where she performed
at the Japanese Embassy and UNESCO Hall,
exhibiting her self-created, very personal
dance form. An art director challenged her
to expand and find a dance style that
reflected her heritage. He said, "Your
dance is not unique. Your spirit is
Japanese, but your techniques are all
Western. Your body isn't expressing what you
want it to. I'd like to see you dance what
can only be danced by someone Japanese."
Nasu had never studied Japanese dance. She
embarked on a quest to find a new stylistic
voice, which eventually led her to study old
Japanese mythological dances. She began
exploring a Japanese primitive story-telling
style of dance usually performed by Shinto
priests, known as kagura. Following a
period of rigorous training, she embarked on
a pilgrimage, performing her new art form in
Shinto and Buddhist temples in every
prefecture of Japan for eight years. This
experience she credits with deepening her
skill and spirit of mai, the dance.
Nasu's moving dance style, influenced by her
classical Western training and Asian
dance heritage, appeals to many levels at
once-physical, mental, spiritual, and
emotional. Described by some as both
extremely beautiful and joyously sensitive,
Nasu's dance movements are based on Hara
Tanden chi energy. This Asian movement
technique increases concentration and
enlightens the spirit through relaxation and
graceful body movements based on f'u (wind),
sui (water) and ka (fire).
Nasu has performed her improvisational
dance, which she calls "Spiral Vision," in
New York City, as well as Greece, India,
South Korea, and China. Her new
partnership with Masaki has inspired their
personal approach that merges Earth and
Spirit, drawing on their years of training
in dance, meditation and improvisation.
For more information about Nasu's and
Masaki's dance performance, Infinite
Transparency, and workshop at The
Contemporary Museum, visit our website at
www.tcmhi.org;
Exhibition Info: (808) 526-0232; Reception
Desk: (808) 526-1322. Third Thursdays are
free entry days! Click
HERE for more
details.
(click
HERE for larger version)
(Click
HERE for larger version)
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General Information:
The Contemporary Museum - Makiki Heights
Entry: One-Day Membership Pass - $8 Adults; $6 Students & Seniors; Members & Children 12 and
under are free. (Cost of a one-day pass may be applied to the cost of an annual membership on
the day of issue.) It is always free to visit the Museum Shop or The Contemporary Café. Third
Thursdays are free entry days! Museum and Shop Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.;
Sunday from Noon to 4 p.m.; Closed Mondays and major holidays. The Contemporary Café Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Sunday from Noon to 2:30 p.m. Café
Reservations: (808) 523-3362. Docent Tours: Tuesday-Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Cades Library Hours:
Tuesday & Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m.; or by special appointment. Parking: Free. On The Bus: #15
to Makiki Heights Drive-stops in front of the Museum. Address: 2411 Maikiki Heights Drive,
Honolulu, HI 96822. Exhibitions/Events Line: (808) 526-0232. Tours/Administration: (808)
526-1322; Web Site: www.tcmhi.org. Membership: (808) 237-5219.
The Contemporary Museum at First Hawaiian Center: Entry: Free. Hours: Monday-Thursday from
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Closed on weekends and banking holidays;
First Fridays: 7-9 p.m. Docent Tours: Third Thursdays at Noon. Parking: TCM Members enjoy
validated parking at FHC. Address: 999 Bishop Street, Honolulu, HI 96813.
