ASOBI is a Japanese term that refers to what we do outside the obligations of our life:  trivial things, passing activities, minor obsessions.

ASOBI also means ‘game’ in an adult, sensual context. Humans and certain animals with complex brains understand this aspect of life, this amusement in creating actions and tasks distinct from those we have to accomplish in order to survive.

The word also refers to prevarication, a loss of concentration, letting go, and the drunkenness it induces. By extension, it also evokes the game of chance, competition, combat and vertigo caused by fairground rides and childhood games. In contemporary Japanese society, it also has an erotic connotation that strongly evokes the adult games that are staged as childhood ones. It is especially used by men, as even today Japanese women are not expected to indulge in such practices.

What would happen if they did? Exploring the idea of fetishism and so-called ASOBI practices, some aspects of which magnify certain parts of the body, the show will tackle this question through games between women. An obsession with the body and its reflection, as well as voyeurism, feature on a set that evokes 'Magic Mirrors', with a large transparent mirror on the ceiling. The idea was inspired by the Japanese 'love hotels', where couples can watch themselves make love in the mirror on the ceiling. This game of voyeurism incites us to be observed, to not be observed, to realise that we are being observed, to not realise that we are being observed, etc.

It is also about creating a portrait of three women and two men; five different ways to possess a part of their body, five personalities, two sensualities. Materials such as leather, corsets and high heels contribute to this research into female animality, the deformation of movement, the body and its reflection. The men observe the animal, sensual part of the women. The two dancers represent the gaze of the public.

Credits

Choregraphy and staging : Kaori Ito 
Danced and created by : Csaba Varga Jann Gallois Kaori Ito Laura Neyskens Peter Juhasz 
Music : Guillaume Perret 
Played by : Guillaume Perret, SPECTRA Ensemble (Jan Ver- cruysse, Kris Deprey, Pieter Jansen, Bram Bossier, violoncello (NN), Luc Van Loo en Frank Van Eycken) sous la direction de Filip Rathé 
Dramaturgy : Bauke Lievens 
Choregraphy assistant : Gabriel Wong Coaching Alain Platel 
Lights : Carlo Bourguignon 
Setting creation : Wim Van de Cappelle 
Costumes : Mina Ly 
Photography : Chris Van der Burght 
Production : les ballets C de la B 

Co-production : Muziekcentrum De Bijloke (Gent), SPECTRA Ensemble, TorinoDanza, Théâtre National de Chaillot (Paris), Theater im Pfalzbau (Ludwigshafen), La Rose des Vents (Villeneuve d’Ascq)

Video direction : Philippe Gasnier
Production : 24 images

Kaori Ito began her choreographic career in Japan, when she was 18 years old, she was awarded as the best choreographer and interpreter by Ryouichi Enomoto. In 2002, her choreography in "Yokohama Dance Collection" received the award of the Foundation of the City of Yokohama. She feels then the need to dip into her career and her varied experiences as a performer so she starts to create her own work. From January 2004, she goes to New York as the Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists and studied at [Alvin Ailey Dancce Theater]. She has also worked with Naini Chen dance company. Studying dance at SUNY Purchase in NY, she choreographed for "Joyce Soho Presents" (New York) in 2004. She receives National Conference award from the Rencontres Internationales de Chorégraphiques Seine-Saint-Denis.

She did choreograpy and body coaching for several films (Sans moi d'Olivier Panchot), assisting choreographers in this task (she helps Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for Diasthème's movie : Le bruit des gens autour). She choreographed latest show of Edouard Baer and assisted choreography for James Thierrée (solo Raul and Tabac Rouge). After working with Philippe Decouflé (Iris), Angelin Preljocaj (Les 4saisons), James Thiérrée (Au revoir Palapruie), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (The house of Sleeping beauties by Guy Cassiers) and Alain Platel (Out of Context), in 2008, Kaori Ito directs her first production "Noctiluque" in France and in Switzerland. In 2009, Kaori then deepens her own dance language for her creation entitled SoloS in Japan and presents at the Théâtre National de Marseille, Théâtre du Merlan (France).

Alongside her career as a dancer, Kaori has been interested in cinema, first as a student (she attended an academic film criticism in Japan), then as a videographer and film choreographer.
Her early work : "Carbon Monoxide" was released in 2006 at the Pompidou Center during the festival Vidéodanse, in the United States and in Spain. Kaori Ito is regularly a choreographer for cinema : she worked with Clémence Poésy for the movie "Sans Moi" by Olivier Panchot. She also workes with Léa Drucker for "Le bruit des gens" autour by Diasthème as an assistant of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

Source : Kaori Ito 's website

More information

kaoriito.com