Festival Report フェスティバル レポート 2016

Vertical Stage: Bencha

Wait. That's the stage!? Surprised voices could be heard waiting for the performance to begin.




This year marks Bencha's 5th appearance at Daidogei. The performance group learned about the event after receiving an invitation from Daidogei, but have continued to appear because of the kind and friendly people.

While Bencha Theater is a 4 person group, two of their best aerial performers appeared this year. Descending from the roof, the two proceeded to perform a vertical tango-like dance expressing the "langauge of love."



Suspended from the roof, they captivate their audience as they move, giving the dancers the feeling of weightlessness, like they are moon walking and moving in slow motion. The two performed not only in midair, but also on the ground, making use of their gymnastic and acrobatic backgrounds.

These two were introduced to aerial dancing while attending a workshop and, since then, have worked in tandem with their troup to create a performance style that includes all specializations and is unique to the Bencha Theater group."Of course, we loved to fly once we tried (it)." Performer Sarah Kooij said of their background in aerial dance.

As for their message to the audience, "Just enjoy it," she says. <MII>