Ayako Kato
Dancer and Choreographer
Thursday, February 16, 2017 @ 7:30pm FREE
Terra Incognita Art Series
blue fish explores Ayako’s relationship to the production of, and destruction from, nuclear energy in both Japan and the U.S. This dance performance will be followed by a brief panel discussing movement as a means of transformation and eastern views of nature. Ayako’s goal is to enhance the contemporary audience’s sensibility of “the beauty of being as it is,” inspired by the traditional Japanese aesthetic of “furyu (風流),” literally wind flow. She is a dance artist influenced by a Japanese view of nature and the philosophy of Tao. Her ongoing practice is to rediscover humans as a part of nature and to represent human movement as the embodiment of “The Way” of nature. Nature encompasses the common elements of nature, including plants, flowers, animals, insects, birds, fish, ocean, rivers, mountains, water etc. But in Japanese, nature also means “being as it is.” For humans, this doesn’t mean doing as we please. To “be as it is,” we are constantly responsible for our own transformative state of being, in search of who we are, evolving together with others, following principles of nature in its cyclical thoroughness. There, the human mind is a seed source to create powerful phenomena. Any tiny movement can yield a moment of enormous impact. Our small actions can spark small social change—that can eventually lead to major and impactful social change. Ayako’s dance elevates the audience’s sensitivity in order to recognize the glowing, ephemeral beauty of being and gravity in themselves and others. It encourages perception of the intangible, or furyu. It affirms and nurtures the dignity of life.
Following the performance, there will be a brief panel discussion with Ayako and professors Jan Miyasaki, Peggy Choy, and Sulfikar Amir on eastern views of nature, nuclear energy, and movement as a means of transformation.
Ayako will also be leading a movement-based workshop February 17th 12:00-1:30pm at Village Community Cohousing. To register for this workshop email: terra.incognita.art@gmail.com
Additional funding, co-sponsorship, and support from: Borghesi-Mellon Interdisciplinary Workshops in the Humanities; Wisconsin Union Directorate Society & Politics; Center for Culture, History and Environment, Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies; The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies; Arts and Literature Laboratory; Madison Public Library; Wisconsin State Cartographers Office.
This event is presented by the Terra Incognita Art Series: Artists Exploring a New Ecological Epoch. Other 2017 events include:
March 8 – Jamey Stillings: Evolution of Ivanpah Solar. Central Library (3rd floor) – 7pm
March 9 – Jamey Stillings: Science and Technology Studies Brown Bag Series – 12:30pm
April 2-8 – Project Colorado!
April 2 – Wisconsin Film Festival will be presenting this feature legnth documentary followed by a panel with Murat Eyuboglu (Director), William Brittelle (Composer), and William deBuys (Writer).
April 5 – William deBuys: Not Shutting Down: Staying Engaged in an Era of Environmental Loss
(CHE colloqium) 7191 Helen C. White – 12:00-1:00
April 8 – William deBuys: Writing Environmental Stories: Strategies for Keeing it New. UW Arboretum – 9:30am. Part of the Center for Culture History and Environment Spring Writing Retreat. To register for this workshop email: terra.incognita.art@gmail.com!
