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THE BLOG AT THE CROSSROADS
TeZuKa : Manga Meets Contemporary Dance
Posted: September 4, 2011
One of the comics culture highlights of this coming week, apart, of course, from my free fun-packed talk in Wokingham Library this Thursday September 8th on Favourite Comics from the Fabulous Fifties, partly a pre-taster of my imminent book, 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die, is TeZuKa at Sadler’s Wells, London. From September 6th to 10th only, the worlds of Japanese comics and Belgian contemporary choreography combine in an audacious world premiere conceived by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, with an original score commissioned from composer Nitin Sawhney.
As their website explains: “Cherkaoui explores Tezuka’s fascinating world, a blend of tradition, science fiction and contemporary reality. Two of Tezuka’s manga stories, Astro Boy and Buddha, have particularly captured Cherkaoui’s imagination in creating this new work. TeZukA will feature lighting and visual design by Willy Cessa and costumes by fashion designer Sasa Kovacevic. Tezuka’s original illustrations will be projected alongside work by video artist Taiki Ueda and live calligraphy by Tosui Suzuki. Using the dancers’ movements to trace the physical evolution of Tezuka’s drawings, from a line on a blank page to a single Japanese kanji (letter) to a fully-formed manga character, Cherkaoui will bring the ‘God of Manga’‘s philosophy, drawings and characters to life.”
For a preview, take a look at the above special behind-the-scenes video which shows you rehearsals and an interview with Cherkaoui himself. Both Cherkaoui and Tazuka biographer Helen McCarthy are giving introductory talks at Sadler’s Wells, free to all ticket holders. Don’t miss this extraordinary production. I will be seeing it for myself this Wednesday and will blog my review of it here afterwards. It’s yet more evidence of the thrilling interactions now being encouraged between comics and other artforms.
Read The Blog At The Crossroads here.
