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News:
2010
Time Flies and... 11/29/2010
I have been noticing that the ways I write in Japanese and English are different, yet more so for this news section. So I write here for the first time in the way I write in Japanese as narrative.
This year, 2010, after I came back from Japan to do Dear Bach - Goldberg Variations in summer, time flied. Performance for the opening of 32nd Annual Chicago Jazz Festival was very memorable (although my a year old daughter was sleeping while we were performing).
I danced three minute piece titled "Last Person" which I started to think of the idea fourteen years ago at 1305 TEN YEARS LATER and it was challenging.
A collaboration piece with Selina Trepp for The Other Dance Festival was mind bending because of the live projection with mirrors and cameras. Yet, thanks to Selina, finally I felt it was success in terms of expressing my political frustration metaphorically through a choreographic piece.
The joy of collaborating with four brilliant musicians (Josh Berman, Jason Stein, Brian Labycz, Jason Roebke) and two dancers (Julia Mayer, Lisa Gonzales) from Jazz Festival continued at Dance Union's kickoff event. Lisa said that even time duration of performance and numbers of casts can be a part of score. And Julia's solo suggestion during the practice took us to whole another awareness to choreograph in the moment as a group.
I did a small solo by reflecting upon my friend's disappearance at Bloom #5. I was preparing composed piece. Yet after all, my momentum took me to improvisation. Whatever. That was my momentum, emotion and intent at that time. People seemed to like it. That is one of the most important things.
I did "Living (Room) Ceremony" which is tea ceremony for Food & Performance event at Meg Duguid's home. This was exceptionally giving for me in terms of me not being avoidable communicating guests. I found out how much I am shy and also tends to accumulate my own imaginative thoughts toward others. Yet for the event, I realized I can get rid of those by trying to be good host. Why don't I do it for daily life as well? If your mind is always welcoming people with my tea serving as well as dance serving mind, I will be such an open and nice individual more than before!! It's upto where you place your mind. I did this tea ceremony because I am not being able to welcome people to my home by preparing neatly and taking time (because of baby Yuria!). I wanted to have time to be neat even for a while, hosting others.
Thanks to numerous support, Dance Union is going wonderful. I hope this place continue to exist to explore contemporary/experimental dance works as a whole community.
Thank you for your support and let's see what's up next year!
2009
Ayako Kato will be dancing at The Other Dance Festival on October 1 & 2. She has also invited to perform at The Moving Architects' Fall Concert as a guest artist. details
AUH will be on MUTV- Channel 49 (cable) on Thursday, August 13, 2009 1 pm.
The program, JUST SOUND and MOVEMNT" was taken from our lecture/demonstration with Josh Berman about Crosscut Project (reserch supported by Experimental Sound Studio and Links Hall) on June 17th, 2008.
Thank you so much for coming to see IN THE SIMPLEST MANNER!
Ayako starts to dance Dear Bach every Wednesday in May at Epiphany Episcopal Chicago. details Also on Sun, May 17, voice performer Isa Wiss, Asimina Chremos and Ayako will perform trio as Green Cross at Epiphany Dance Experiment. details
Thu & Fri, 4/30 & 5/1/2009
Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape presents
In the Simplest Manner @ Hamlin Park Fieldhouse 7:30pm
the eveneing of dance by solo, duo, trio + triple double bassists
Improv. Improv. - bass, bass, bass, sextet by Kent Kessler (bass), Darin Gray (bass), Julia Mayer (dance), Asimina Chremos (dance), Jason Roebke (bass), Ayako Kato (dance)
In the simplest manner, duo by Asimina Chremos & Ayako Kato
Born, solo by Ayako Kato
Lighting Design by Chris Wooten
Thu, 3/19/2009
Links Hall Annual Benefit
THAW '09 - Melting Point @ Sonoteque
Links Hall is celebrating their 30 year anniversary at Sonotheque, March 19, 2009 from 5:30-9:30pm. Josh Berman and Ayako Kato are honored to perform in the event. For Tickets click here
1/7-1/18, 2009 Japan Tour: Crosscut JAJ
Josh Berman, Jason Roebke and Ayako Kato returned from the memorable Japan Tour on Jan 19. Some movie from Osaka performance. click here
11/21-12/21 "Private Dancer" by Selina Tripp, featuring Ayako Kato
Thank you so much for coming to watch TEN NIGTS DREAM !
Thank you so much for coming to TND. It is like a Dream now, yet it happened and in my body, something is changed. Hope to share upcoming events in Autumn!
Schedule: 10/2&3 The Other Dance Festival,10/25 Asian American Jazz Festival
TEN NIGTS DREAM Event Archive is Up!
Please visit new TND event archive. You will get to watch and listen to related materials.
| Art Union Humanscape presents Ayako Kato's Ten Nights Dream: Sound and Movement Mandala Friday - Sunday, June 6-8, 2008 details Epiphany Episcopal Church, 201 S. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 60607 It's been a hundred years since Japanese novelist Soseki Natsume wrote the story, Ten Nights of Drams. Ayako Kato and collaborators will invite viewers to experience furyu (literally, wind flow) - the beauty of being. |
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Crosscut Sound and Movement: JAJ project vol. 6 Sunday, April 20th, 7pm Heaven Gallery, 1550 N. Milwaukee Ave. 2nd fl. |
| About Dance |
| Thu, April 10, 2008 6:30-7:30pm @ Chicgo Cultural Center Dance Studio |
| Artistic Process of Sound and Movement Mandala – Ten Nights Dream |
| Hosted by Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Critic Lucia Mauro leads the discussion of Kato’s creating process to introduce her new work. |
Ayako Kato profiled in All Nippon Airlines Wingspan Magazine. January 2008
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Crosscut Sound and Movement: JAJ project Sundays, February 10th vol. 4 March 23rd vol. 5 & April 20th vol. 6 7pm Heaven Gallery, 1550 N. Milwaukee Ave. 2nd fl. |
Happy New Year! Wishing you all a very wonderful musical and dancy year in 2008!
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Ayako will offer new class series, Ideokinetic Tao, at Silverspace from Jan 24th! Every Thursday starting from Jan 24th through March 27th, Ayako will offer new class series, Ideokinetic Tao, at Silverspace. This class will be a wonderful opportunity for daners who want to work on physical sensitivity to move through the space. (1/14/08) Photos from EVE - Sound and Movement Ten Nights Dream are Up! Enjoy production photos of EVE - Sound and Movement Ten Nights Dream by Nadia Oussenko. (1/14/08) Ayako's Article on ANA's "Wing Span" January Issue When you have a chance to use All Nippon Airline in January, please flip "Wing Span" magazine! There is an intervew article of Ayako Kato. (1/8/08) Jason Roebke is now touring in Europe! Bassist Jason Roebke is now traveling as a member of Jorrit Dijkstra's Band, Flatlands Collective. The group goes around Netherlands, Belgium and Germany from Jan 7th through 14th. (1/8/08) |
| Crosscut Music & Dance Project vol.3!
Josh Berman (cornet) and Art Union Humanscape are going to present their 3rd live at Heaven Gallery on Sat, December 8th. Guest music group is Aram Shelton's Flockterkit. Don't miss! (12/2/07) |
| Ayako has been to Japan for two months during summer time to research about Mandala and Renku, Japanese Chained Poetry, and experience Zen meditation sitting practice. She also performed "Land the land - 9, a peace of idea" at die pratze dance festival in Azabu, Tokyo. Visit her blog @Chicago Dancemakers Forum website. (10/5/07) |
| Music & Dance / New Project by Josh Berman, Ayako Kato and Jason Roebke (10/5/07) |
| You are invited to join a series of music and dance performances starting from Sat, October 13th by the trio of dancer Ayako Kato and musicians Josh Berman and Jason Roebke. We are presenting a series of three concerts to start with as part of an ongoing collaboration project made possible by the 2007 Crosscut Program, a partnership of Experimental Sound Studio and Links Hall. The three of us are focusing on new models for music and dance collaboration. We will also be joined each night by complimenting ensembles that we're sure you will enjoy. |
| Awarded the Crosscut grant from Experimental Sound Studio and Links Hall to work on a new project with Josh Berman (cornet) and Jason Roebke |
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Music & Dance / Art Union Humanscape - Ayako Kato Sound and Movement Ten Nights Dream III - Eve Friday & Saturday June 1 & 2, 8pm Sunday June 3, 7pm
Links Hall 3435 N. Sheffield Ave. Chicago, IL 60657 www.linkshall.org visit
Tickets: $15 ($10 students, seniors) Call: (773) 281-0824 |
| [Posted: 4/12/2007] |
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Free! Sound and Movement Improvisation Workshop in June 2007 Ayako Kato will offer a free improvisation workshop. The workshop will focus on how to prepare yourself to listen to your body better as a dance/movement improviser and how to coexist with music and musicians. This will culminate with an informal showing. Main Topics: Week 1 Preparing Body, Week 2 Study of Ma, Space, Stillness, & Silence Week 3 Creating Space (individual and w/ others) Week 4 Being with Sound Guest musicians: Keefe Jackson (saxophone), Brian Labycz (electronics) Guest musicians will join in the week 4 and the showing. When & Where: Wednesdays, 6/6, 6/13, 6/20, 6/27 7-9 pm @ Silverspace 1474 N. Milwaukee Ave. & 6/30 Showing 2-5 pm (Actual Showing starts from 4 pm) @ Links Hall 3435 N. Sheffield Contact, Reservation & More Info: Email [Posted: 4/12/2007] |
| Ayako has been selected as a 2007 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist. She is currently working toward Sound and Movement Ten Nights Dream III for June 1-3 at Links Hall and will present Sound and Movement Mandala: Ten Nights Dream as a centennial anniversary of the story in 2008.
Chicago Dancemakers Forum is led by a consortium of two independent artists, The Dance Center of Columbia College Chiacgo, Links Hall, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. [2/18/2007] Thank you for coming to see Land the land 9 - a peace of idea at the Chicago Cultural Center! Now photo gallery is up. [2/18/2007] Land the land -9, a peace of idea @ Chicago Cultural Center AUH with Jim Baker! Music & Dance QUINTET |
| Ayako performed Land the land -9, a peace of idea in Japan Tuesday, October 31, 2006 JK Dance Atelier, Meguro, Tokyo Friday, November 3, 2006 Forest of Dance, Machida, Tokyo |
| Thank you for coming to see DanceBridge Showing
Ten Nights Dream III (work in progress) was shown on Saturday, August 9th from 12:15 pm with another summer resident Sinead Kimbrell's work in progress. The showing was held at the Chicago Cultural Center Dance Studio as a part of DanceBridge program presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. details |
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Workshop in June -- finished Art Union Humanscape, dancer Ayako Kato and double bassist Jason Roebke, will offer sound and movement workshop at Links Hall on every Saturdays In June. For details visit workshop / www.linkshall.org |
| Coming up performance in Chicago-finished
Art Union Humanscape will perform a small piece on Friday, June 9, at 3030 Elastic Arts Center for Spareroom Benefit. They will be seen from 9:20 pm. Other Performances-finished Art Union Humanscape will perform on Wednesday, June 28 (performance with percussionist Tim Barnes) in NYC, and on Satuday, August 5 in Milwaukee. details |
| Ayako presented "Land the land-9 a peace of idea" at: |
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Links Hall LinkUp Performers in Residence Showcase: |
| Fri. -Sun. March 31st, April 1st & 2nd 8 p.m. |
| details |