Category: Dance

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Contemporary dance Dance English Japanese tradition Theater

Journey to world nostalgia – hybrid dance theater in Shimokita

Theater Dance


Mixing theater, dance, Japanese tradition (with a Noh actor, a Japanese traditional Buyoh dancer and Japanese shakuhachi flute) and urban culture (including a Parkour artist and a rapper/percussionist), Journey to world nostalgia has all the features of a total spectacle and performance. Performed in multiple languages – remember Drive my car ? – and pushed by action and performance, the spectacle can be fully enjoyed by non Japanese speakers.

Director, writer, and choreographer Hiroshi Koike (小池博史) presents the world premiere of his new dance-theater
work, (世界望郷の旅), at The Suzunari in Shimokitazawa from 18 to 24 June 2026. Reinterpreting the Japanese folk tale of the Snow Woman (Yuki-onna) through a near-future lens, the work follows artificial humans engineered with implanted artificial memories and a built-in mechanism to die by 25. The moment they discover love, awaken to death and cry out for a life of their own, the
system begins to glitch. What follows is an epic of crime, punishment, and a nostalgia for a world they have never truly known.

For tickets, go here.

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ballet Butoh Circus Contemporary dance Dance 舞踏 Japanese tradition Opera Theater

Recommended performances from July to September

We just released our list of recommended theater plays, contemporary dance shows, ballets, and so on, for the months of July, August and September 2026.
This is a first draft, and it will get richer as new programs are publicized – stay tuned.

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Dance

Virtual and real 3D dance merged together

From July 22 to 29, Larumbe Danza, a Spanish company known for its dance x 3D video series, proposes a completely new immersive dance program that fuses VR (virtual reality) with live performance! 4 short VR pieces are presented, in which the public can immerse himself, while a 15 mn live performance, Whispers of the time, will also be presented.
Move between the digital and real worlds, watch, feel, and immerse yourself— it is an unprecedented immersive dance experience. After the VR Cannes Festival – and we could at YPAM Fringe festival enjoy some of the works presented in 2025 – it is a new opportunity to feel how VR / 3D strives to find a place in performing and visual arts.

Recommended over 10 years old. A great mixed experience in Setagaya Public Theater

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Contemporary dance Dance

Fugue of that day. And then.

Session House Kagurazaka will marks its 35th Year with “Dance Bridge 2026”, Mademoiselle Cinema premiering its newest work, Fugue of That Day. And Then,over two days, June 20 (Sat) and 21 (Sun),
2026

Ten years after Fugue of Sorrow. Now, dancing across a decade-long fault line. This production is part of the long-running “Dance Bridge” series, which has played a leading role in Japan’s contemporary dance scene. A decade after Fugue of Sorrow (2016)—a collaborative work with a visual artist that drew significant attention for its raw portrayal of women’s emotions—this new piece reflects on our present moment,
situated between a changing world and enduring pain.

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Performance Details

Dance Bridge 2026 – 35th Anniversary: Culmination and New Challenges
Fugue of That Day. And Then,

Dates & Times
June 20 (Sat), 2026 — 15:00 / 19:00
June 21 (Sun), 2026 — 14:00

Categories
ballet Contemporary dance Dance

Ballet coffret 2026 at the New National Theater Tokyo

From February 5 to February 8, the NNTT proposes his yearly Ballet Coffret. Supported by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the theatre ballet company will perform 3 works, in original choregraphies from the late 1940s, from the 1970s, and from 2000 – so to speak contemporary dance classics, from Balanchine to David Dawson. I have never been disappointed by the NNTT Ballet Coffret, in its classic modernity and diversity.
https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/productions/ballet-dance/coffret.html

For more performances in the first quarter

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Dance English subtitles Japanese tradition Theater

Launch of new festival for Traditional Performing Arts in Tokyo

The Meetup for Edo-Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts will take place from January to March 2026. This new festival focuses on Performing arts originating from the 14th century, like Noh, Kyogen, Gagaku, to more modern forms such as Japanese traditional dance or popular street arts and folkloric customs, covering theater, music and dance. The programme is rich and diverse, and inclusive of Non-Japanese figures, both with an accessible website and linguistic support for most performances. Even for those most attracted to new performing arts forms, it is a chance to have a glimpse into tradition and enrich the perception of the contemporary scene. Spread over Tokyo, it will offer glimpses of the various places which accomodate tradition in the city.

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Dance

Shibuya Street Dance Week

On November 22, SSDW 2025 will launch. Yoyogi Koen will be the theatre of street dance contests, breaking contests and battle parks, a thrilling experience for both young and less young ones. To be noted, candidates can register for some competitions until November 19, but the website seems to be very Japanese.
https://streetdanceweek.jp/

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Contemporary dance Dance

Dance Bridge 2025 vol.2

Session House Kagurazaka will stage the second volume of Dance Bridge 2025, focusing on laugther, on Dec. 6 and 7. In a time of growing social uncertainty, this program presents four dance works that explore empathy and tolerance born through laughter. Going beyond the boundaries of contemporary dance, the artists will take on the challenge of illuminating human nature through humor.
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“Tokyo Parade”, Choreography & Performance: Mizuo Kasai, Chieko Ito
“Sister”, Chor.: Takahiro Mochizuki Perf,: Takahiro Mochizuki, Haruka Takeuchi
“Iconic”, Choreography & Performance: Yu Okamoto, Wataru Kitao
“1mm of Policy”, Chor.: Sae Onishi, Perf.: Sae Onishi, Remi Murai, Haruka Taba
Take the chance to have a taste of 4 different styles / expressions and laugh along the performances.
For information and registering : info@session-house.net
Website : https://session-house.net/

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Dance English English subtitles Theater

K-EX kicks off on Oct/4

Kyoto Experiment will spread over October, from 4th to 26th. It will features theater plays and performance in English, Spanish, and other languages, mostly with English (and Japanese) subtitles. To name a few,

Multiple bad things, an horrific comedy in English will tackle the subject of the worst worplace at the end of the world (Australia), on Oct. 4 and 5.
Fragments of Tuah will deconstruct/reconstruct a hero from the Malacca sultanate, in 15th century Malaysia, through the evolution of his image (in Malay, English, and with surtitles).

In Japanese with English surtitles, Performing the cemetery by Jun Tsutsui, from a military cemetery will focus on the individual stories of the buried soldiers,
while Tennis (stage version) from Takuya Murakawa will address alternative realities on a staged tennis court, from October 9 to 13.

You will also have the chance to assist to a performance on the history of power outages in Lebanon, a show in Spanish, dance works from akakilike, a staged reading of Dans la mesure de l’impossible from Tiago Rodrigues, in Japanese, following as we remember its wonderful performance in French in Shizuoka and first readings in SPT, and so much more.

For recommended performances in September, and October/December, click on the associated links.

Categories
Contemporary dance Dance

Dance Bridge 2025 – The Sky is Connected

On September 27 and 28, Session House will host an international contemporary dance project Dance Bridge 2025 – The Sky is Connected, in Kagurazaka, Tokyo.
#When we look up at the sky, we see no borders and clouds drifting freely. Yet beneath this sky, divisions, conflicts, and human suffering continue to exist.#
Dance Bridge 2025 seeks to explore tolerance and coexistence in contemporary society by learning about diverse cultural backgrounds and sharing a wide range of emotions and values through dance.
The program includes presentations of dance works from Korea, Japan, and the United States—each representing different cultural backgrounds, some focusing on the theme of “laughter.” Dancers nurtured in different cultural environments will use contemporary dance as a common language to place human emotions at the core of their work, proposing the diversity and inclusivity of dance through their performances.

As part of cultural exchange with Korea, two all-female Japanese dance companies will perform pieces inspired by the Bolero , each expressing distinct perspectives on the female body.
Mademoiselle Cinema, re-working Ito’s Her chair choregraphy, portrays the everyday life of working women and bridges to the future, while Magnum☆Madame explores the evolving physicality of women with age, highlighting their unique traits. Yoo Hosik from Korea will bring his signature work Forest to Japan. This collaboration will explore differences and commonalities in female expression between the two countries and reflect on coexistence in modern society. Reservations shall be possible in English

Also check recommended dance and theater performances in September and October-December