JAPAN
EXPERIMENTAL
DANCE RESIDENCY
EXPERIMENTAL
DANCE RESIDENCY
Japan : has a unique culture that is unlike any other country.
The residency is open to anyone who resonate with the project and wants to cultivate Somatics
through experiencing Japanese culture and creating art togather.
「空気を読む」(Reading the air) is important foundations for the residency.
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21-31 MAY 2026
産声 UBUGOE : Japan 10-days experimental dance residency in nature and studio
Mikis Tapaswi will be sharing the workshop 「Dance is where you find it」
the first three days as turning for the residency.
産声 (UBUGOE ) is the sound we made when we were born into this world and cried for the very first time.
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Save the dates : 21-31st May
The schedule for the three-day workshop is as follows :
22nd, 23rd
9:00-12:00 14:00-17:00
24th
9:00-12:00
30th
14:00-17:00
Please scroll down for more details about the Residency and the WS.
GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS FOR THE RESIDENCY :
The first day is your arrival day (Day 0),
Please arrive by 5:00 PM. We will have orientation about the residency.
In first 3 days, we will have 6 hours of WS, then we will be co-creating rest of the residency. The basic structure includes 3 hours of indoor dance sessions. Another half-day session will be more open, and shaped together with support from Mikis.
Day 9 will be an open session for the local community, including a performance.
Day 10 will include a cleaning dance session and a sharing circle.
The residency will close by noon.
Sessions may be scheduled in the early morning or evening, depending on the wishes of the group. There will be two days off during the 10-day residency (Days 4 & 8).
After Day 4, guided sessions for dances and laboratories will be facilitated by those who wish to share their research.
(This is a great opportunity to share within a small and supportive group, even if you are new to facilitation.)
The residency will include at least one cultural experience and interaction with local people, such as tea ceremonies, cooking, calligraphy, zazen, traditional dance, and martial arts like Aikido, Karate, and Judo.
These may be scheduled on our days off.
As part of our Zen practice, you will be expected to take on small tasks around the house or in the garden.
(Please note that the daily schedule is subject to change depending on the participants and the evolving process of our work.
We will also practice Contact Improvisation, but there is no local CI community in the area, so it will be limited to our group. If you are expecting large group jams, this residency may not be suitable.)
DETAILS ABOUT THE THREE-DAYS WS
「産声 - Dance is where you find it」
This workshop is designed to adjust the body and mind through meditation, bodywork, and dance rituals, paving the way for deeper exploration during the subsequent residency.
And your performance on the final day will be your 産声 a first cry as new beginning.
We will work both indoors and outdoors using five methods of..
息る、生きる-Ikiru (Breathing, to live)
揺れる-Yureru (Shaking, Swaying)
回る-Mawaru (Rotaing, Circling, Spiraling)
触れる-Fureru (Touching)
踊る-Odoru (Dancing)
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息る as to live.
揺れる and 回る are spiritual practices used in 神道(Shinto) and other religions to connect with the divine.
And 触れる—an act we have been given from the moment we were born into this world—here uses an unintended, transparent hand.
踊る here refers not to choreography or competition, but to the body’s spontaneous movements.
We create an environment where we feel safe and your body and mind to invite 空 (Emptiness)
throughout the ws, allowing curiosity to arise naturally.
These will form the foundation of your insights.
The workshop spans the first two and harf days of the residency, and we will share a performance as the final outcome during the afternoon of the ninth day.
The form of the performance is open. It does not necessarily have to involve body movement, but we encourage works grounded in Somatics.
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ACCOMMODATION :
The house is more than 100 years old beautiful wooden house with tatami mats to allow you to experience a simple Japanese lifestyle. Each room will likely be shared by two or three people.
If you require private space, we recommend nearby accommodation or camping in the garden.
The house is more than 100 years old beautiful wooden house with tatami mats to allow you to experience a simple Japanese lifestyle. Each room will likely be shared by two or three people.
If you require private space, we recommend nearby accommodation or camping in the garden.
Meals
Homemade vegetarian dinner will be served during the residency by Sunstri.
For breakfast, we will provide simple ingredients. And we all take turns preparing it.
For breakfast, we will provide simple ingredients. And we all take turns preparing it.
- SunstriSho & Maya
Registration
Participation Fee : JPY 87000
(Price includes accommodation, 8 times dinner and breakfast)
Participation is limited to a
small group of 6.
(Price includes accommodation, 8 times dinner and breakfast)
Participation is limited to a
small group of 6.
Ibusuki City, Kagoshima
Ibusuki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, the southernmost tip of Honshu, Japan.
The port of Yamagawa in this small city is where diplomacy began in the 16th century with the arrival of the first Portuguese ship to the Japanese mainland. Jorge Alvarez, the captain of that ship, wrote a 'Report on Japan' of what he saw and was the first to introduce Japan to the Western world.
In recent years, Ibusuki City has been grappling with an aging population, depopulation, and the resulting problem of vacant homes.
The port of Yamagawa in this small city is where diplomacy began in the 16th century with the arrival of the first Portuguese ship to the Japanese mainland. Jorge Alvarez, the captain of that ship, wrote a 'Report on Japan' of what he saw and was the first to introduce Japan to the Western world.
Ibusuki is known as a retro hot spring resort and is blessed with an abundance of hot springs. It is said that there are more than 800 sources in the town, some of which are luxurious private spas, while others encompass long-established family run business that have been around since the Meiji era.(For about 150 years)
In recent years, Ibusuki City has been grappling with an aging population, depopulation, and the resulting problem of vacant homes.
How to get IBUSUKI!?
The nearest airport is KAGOSHIMA Airport.
LCC flights from Tokyo and Osaka often offer tickets priced below ¥10,000.
There will be a Footbath waiting for you in front of the bus terminal at the
KAGOSHIMA airport.
You have two options:
1, Take the direct bus from the airport to Ibusuki
2, Take the bus from the airport to Kagoshima Central Station and then take the train or the bus to Ibusuki.
There are four direct buses a day from Kagoshima Airport to Ibusuki Station.
10:30, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00
(No reservation is required)
It takes about 2 hours!
LCC flights from Tokyo and Osaka often offer tickets priced below ¥10,000.
There will be a Footbath waiting for you in front of the bus terminal at the
KAGOSHIMA airport.
You have two options:
1, Take the direct bus from the airport to Ibusuki
2, Take the bus from the airport to Kagoshima Central Station and then take the train or the bus to Ibusuki.
There are four direct buses a day from Kagoshima Airport to Ibusuki Station.
10:30, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00
(No reservation is required)
It takes about 2 hours!
Past Residencies
