Live Arts Fest "A Woman's Journey"

https://www.instagram.com/sand...

This summer, the renowned Japanese dance company Mademoiselle Cinema will make its U.S. debut!

They will perform a powerful dance piece themed around picture brides at San Diego’s largest venue for contemporary dance, the San Diego Dance Theater.

We warmly invite you to bring friends and family to experience this unique, cross-generational, and cross-cultural performance that embodies the spirit and aesthetics of Japanese contemporary dance.

A Woman’s Journey

After spending ten years overseas, my grandmother—who lost her husband in　 America—returned to Japan to entrust her two children to her family. Yet she soon went back to America to work. In 1937, after two decades on that distant shore, she finally left America behind. One can only imagine the tumult of emotions that compelled her to choose homecoming as the ominous drumbeats of war drew near. Now, at the age of eighty, I find myself on a quest to understand what it truly means “to become an immigrant” in

place of the story she never told. This is a narrative dedicated to my 100 year old mother.

Mademoiselle Cinema Profile

Based on narratives that weave together memories of girlhood and the everyday lives of women, this dance theatre company delivers vibrant performances characterized by free, dynamic movements emerging from a low center of gravity, harmoniously combined with costumes, visual art, and music. Beginning with an invited performance in Paris in 1999, the company has continued to share Japanese contemporary dance culture with audiences across Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia. It has participated in major international festivals, including the 2008 Sibiu International Theatre Festival and the 2013 Avignon International Theatre Festival. The company has also garnered recognition such as the 2008 Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival Newcomer Award (for choreography by Naoko Ito) and the Audience Award at the 2011 International Theatre Festival in Griffino, Poland.


Naoko Ito

In 1991, she established “Session House,” a small theatre dedicated to dance. In 1993, she founded the company “Mademoiselle Cinema,” which includes an attached theatre. Serving as the choreographer, she has led the creative direction of numerous projects. By operating classes alongside a diverse range of dance programs that serve as both educational and performance spaces, she strives to nurture young talent and expand the reach of contemporary dance through international exchange. Annually, she plans and executes over 40 performance projects and workshops, continually fostering dynamic dance activities.