Photo: Anders Rönnlund, Albert Martinsson, Eva Björkman
© SU-EN Butoh Company

IKI

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Choreography: SU-EN
Dance: SU-EN Butoh Company, Madeleine Holmlund, Heiko Klandt, Brenda Cedillo Perez, KAI-EN and SU-EN
Music composition: Lise-Lotte Norelius
Voice composition: SU-EN
Light design: Svante W Monie
Space design and stage art: SU-EN
Costume design: SU-EN
Sound design: Ulrich Ruchlinski
Dance video IKI: SU-EN and Anders Rönnlund
Production: Mon no Kai
Thanks to: Riksteatern, Gottsunda Dans och Teater.
Duration: 65 minutes

The performance ended with a Watermelon Party together with the audience. They could move around to watch the art work, eat watermelon and talk to the dancers.

Dedicated to Viola Germain, costume designer and researcher of historical dresses. Viola was SU-EN’s first mentor and sewing teacher. She passed away in 2008 after an illness.
The costumes and stage art have been produced by the dancers at Haglund Skola.
Thanks to Viola Germain, who dyed the green silk for the costumes.

IKI looks at life in all its shapes and expressions. Life will change, evolve, die and return. The sublime bodies exist in a space that could be a garden, a backyard, a stable or a compost. The space is a life-garden and changes during the performance through various organic materials.
A tree has nerves. A stone breathes. Animals live and love. Decomposition makes the colours change. Drops of water on the leaves just like drops of sweat. A secret world of crawling insects under the stone. All who want to live, to follow their nature and dreams.
IKI brings the ”Swedish” soul into a weave with voices, sounds and impulses from the whole world. In this time, when the planet is suffering from greed and overuse, human rights are ignored, and ”culture” is kidnapped by conservative nationalists IKI wants to cherish LIFE.

Note: IKI in Japanese can have different meanings depending on the Kanji which is used; life, birth, lively, thrilling, on fire, breath and soul.

Premiere at Dansens Hus April 10, 2019. Originally a solo on tour with Riksteatern in Sweden 2018 and reworked for Dansens Hus to an ensemble piece.

Supported by: Swedish Arts Council, City of Uppsala, Cultural Affairs Board, The Swedish Arts Grants Committee