Hiroaki Umeda (JP)
2.repulsion (Choreography for 3 dancers) / Accumulated Layout (Solo)

The Japanese choreographer Hiroaki Umeda, who is well-known for his works distinguished by high tech and video art, places particular emphasis in his most recent piece (for three dancers) on impulses from hip hop. Originating with his general tendency to view the body as an ›object‹ that strives to eliminate prejudices – only illuminating the purely physical and functional potential of the body – Umeda sets off to find an intersection between the worlds of movement. In connection with contemporary dance he fathoms the possibilities of hip hop, questions its limitations, and simultaneously works with the special energy and the particularly distinct movement patterns of this genre.

Following 2.REPULSION, Umeda performs his solo from 2007 ›Accumulated Layout‹, which plays with the notion of perception. Rather than video images, the performer’s space is sculpted here by a lighting design which rapidly alternates in source direction and intensity. In interaction with Umeda’s dance, the ‘accumulation’ of these various lighting effects gives significant creative shape to a performance which changes our fragmented and multiple notions of perception.

Hiroaki Umeda is a first-time guest at PACT Zollverein.

To watch the trailer ›Accumulated Layouts‹