b12 summer | main event
research or die.
no credits
b12 summer main event
— // —location: eden***** studios
ichi go
dancer with Elektro kagura | performer at novoflot
Improvisation as a Living Ritual
this workshop approaches improvisation as a ritual — a space where breath, instinct and presence come together. it is based on ichi go’s own practice, drawing from her japanese heritage and performance experience, and offers participants a unique approach to movement. through the practice of bear, tree, belly, we explore improvisation as a ritual of becoming. we begin with breath — the bear — awakening impulse and presence. through contact, we meet the tree — a grounded partner offering direction and resistance. from this exchange, the belly emerges: intuitive, original movement that honours each dancer’s natural rhythm. combining breath, contact and sound, we reset habitual patterns and rediscover movement as a living ritual. the trunk — our shared axis — becomes a spiral of improvisation where body and music meet. inspired by the japanese concept ichigo ichie (one moment, one meeting), each encounter is treated as unique and unrepeatable. this practice trains dancers to live fully in the present moment, feeling the ground, opening the head toward space and letting intuition guide the body. participants move collaboratively, following their instincts with energy and joy, and discover their own creativity while harmonising with others.
the description reflects an artist’s idea which was developed at the time it was submitted to b12. it may have changed by the time the workshop or the performance project is starting. please stay flexible. thank you!
biography
ichi go (sachiko ikutani) is a berlin-based japanese dancer and choreographer with over a decade of professional experience. she has been a performer at novoflot for over 11 years, taking on challenging roles that integrate singing and dancing, consistently expanding the company’s expressive range through daring, experimental work at institutions such as wdr, the athens national opera and volksbühne berlin. she has also collaborated with dissonart in thessaloniki, marc sinan company and eric schaefer ensemble in berlin, contributing to interdisciplinary productions that fuse music, movement and multimedia. after moving to berlin 12 years ago to explore her artistic identity, she began a series of international collaborations inspired by the sacred dances of her hometown kamakura, which blend earth-bound stamping with intuitive inspiration descending from above. integrating these elements with breath-centred practice, she has developed a unique approach rooted in japanese culture. as artistic director of elektro kagura, she creates performances and workshops that combine japanese aesthetics, contemporary improvisation and intuitive movement. she fosters collaborative communities while guiding participants to discover their own creativity and experience dance as a joyful, transformative act.
company info
ELEKTRO KAGURA
elektro kagura is a multimedia performance collective based in berlin that integrates intercultural themes, text, music, dance and visual art with digital media on stage. rooted in traditional japanese performing arts, elektro kagura creates a fusion of tradition and contemporary experimentation that dissolves boundaries between genres and disciplines. its intuitive, process-oriented practice seeks to distil the essential elements of ritual, movement and transformation, bringing performers and audiences into a shared, immersive experience. founded in 2016 by ichi go (sachiko ikutani), visual artist yukihiro ikutani and electronic musician axl otl, the collective reimagines ancient myths, rituals and folk narratives through a contemporary lens, addressing themes of memory, resistance and rebirth. its performances often unfold in unconventional spaces such as museums and galleries, merging installation, choreography and live sound to create new forms of sensory theatre. elektro kagura’s approach emphasises the body as a medium of resonance between tradition and the digital present. through collective improvisation and intercultural collaboration, it cultivates a space of intuitive awareness where movement becomes a living ritual and boundaries between audience and performer dissolve.
please be aware of our early bird special offer for this workshop! you can apply for this offer up until the 24th of march 2025. after the 24th the regular workshop fee applies. applications are accepted up until one day before the workshops starts.
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