After a course in classical ballet and fine arts, since the mid-1980s Saburo Teshigawara has developed an artistic language in his works, which contains a new orientation for contemporary dance in Japan and beyond: in the interaction of diverse artistic elements –music, movement, fine arts, film– the choreographer and his KARAS company create poetic spaces that underlie the originality of his language of movement, with an impressive sense of composition and a high sculptural sensitivity.
Choreography, set design, lighting design, costume design: Saburo Teshigawara | Music Compilation: Saburo Teshigawara Sonatas for Solo Violin OP27 by Eugene Ysaÿe, performed by Fanny Clamagirand (Ysaÿe Records) Cast: Rihoko Sato, Saburo Teshigawara | Technical Coordination/lighting: Sergio Pessanha | Lighting operation: Hiroki Shimizu | Sound: Tim Wright | Wardrobe: Mie Kawamura | Production: KARAS | Production, touring: Epidemic | (Richard Castelli, Chara Skiadelli, Florence Berthaud, Claire Dugot)
Saburo Teshigawara (1953) began his unique creative career in 1981 in his native Tokyo after studying plastic arts and classic ballet. In 1985, he formed the company KARAS (Japanese word for ‘crow’) with Kei Miyata. Since then, he and KARAS have been invited every year to perform in major international cities around the world. In addition to solo performances and his work with KARAS, Teshigawara has also been receiving international attention as a choreographer/director: He has been commissioned by many international ballet companies such as the Paris Opera to create repertoire pieces for the company. Teshigawara has likewise received increasing international attention in the visual arts field, with art exhibitions, films/videos as well as designing scenography, lighting and costume for all his performances. Teshigawara's keenly honed sculptural sensibilities and powerful sense of composition, command of space and his decisive dance movements all fuse to create a unique world that is his alone. Keen interests in music and space have led him to create site-specific works, and collaboration with various types of musicians.
Besides the continuous workshops at the KARAS studio in Tokyo, Teshigawara has been involved in many education projects. In 1995 he initiated the S.T.E.P. (Saburo Teshigawara Education Project) that gained acclaim for its choreographic work with blind people. In 2004, he was selected as the mentor of dance for The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, to work for one year with a chosen protégé. Since 2006, he has begun a professorship at the Department of Expression Studies, the College of Contemporary Psychology, St. Paul’s (Rikkyo) University in Japan, where he teaches movement theory and conducts workshops. His countless awards include The Japan Dance Forum Award (2010), Purple Ribbon Award (2009), The Bessie Award (2007)
Rihoko Sato studied gymnastics in England and the United States, where she lived until age 15. Having participated in KARAS’ workshops in 1995, she joined the group in 1996. Since then, Sato has performed in all group works, and also works as the artistic assistant for Saburo Teshigawara in all his creative activities. She is acclaimed internationally, as one of the main figures in Teshigawara’s works. She has just presented her solo dance She directed by Teshigawara, leaving a striking and emotional impression. Her exceptionally sensitive body and nerves create a wide range of dynamism, from melting fragility to sharp intensity, opening a new dimension for physical expression. She has received the Best Dancer Award for her duet with Vaclav Kunes in Scream and Whisper at Les Étoiles de Ballet 2000 Awards in 2005 in Cannes, France, and the Japan Dance Forum Award for 2007. The latest edition to her awards collection is the Premio Positano “Leonide Massine” Award in 2012.
