Widely known for his unique, hyper-visual dance style, the Greek choreographer, director, set/costume/lighting designer and performer Dimitris Papaioannou will present his duet production, “INK,” at the Rohm Theatre Kyoto from 18–21 January.
Since its world premiere in Italy in 2020, this aesthetic gem has been staged in 15 countries. This time, though, it is only being performed in Kyoto, unlike his previous pieces, “The Great Tamer” (2019) and “Transverse Orientation” (2022), that wowed audiences both in Kyoto and Saitama.
However, this will be Papaioannou’s Japan debut as a performer — so don’t miss it!
Papaioannou often draws his motifs from art, history and, indeed, the universe to create his breathtakingly picturesque works. This time, he was inspired by the ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai, the Greek-Spanish painter El Greco, and the U.S. “Clockwork Orange” film director Stanley Kubrick to depict some of the binary oppositions people face, such as light and shadow, rulers and the ruled.
Here, a ruler and the ruled are portrayed by Papaioannou himself as a man wearing clothes, and the German dancer Šuka Horn, who is not. In a world of gushing water on stage, each vies for supremacy over the other.
“INK” runs at the Rohm Theatre Kyoto on Jan. 18–21. For details, call 075-771-6051 or visit http://www.rohmtheatrekyoto.jp.