December 11–18, 1997

critic pick

dance

Roko Kawai

Finding Her Place

More than sixty dancers in Philadelphia deem themselves independent choreographers. Only a fraction of that group have been able to successfully emerge from the pack to garner any substantial degree of attention and accolades. One of them is Roko Kawai. She's developed an individualistic style, combining aspects of both Eastern and Western dance modes, from traditional to contemporary. She's snagged a nice number of grants and is one of only eight dance makers nationwide to receive a prestigious DanceLink award.

Kawai's early works hit on issues of her cultural heritage. Now she's set to take a different tack. "For the last three years a lot of my pieces had been inspired by my thoughts and feelings about my being Japanese in America. And that work focused mainly on relationships between two people—how two individuals come together for personal reasons? I was interested in the surprises that were found," she comments.

In her new work, Tokoro: Territorial Imperative, premiering at the Arts Bank this weekend, she investigates the abstract meaning of the word tokoro, which is Japanese for place. "It refers to a locale or reference point," she explains. "The piece is keyed up into who I am in a particular environment. How I acclimate or change it. Or do I decide to leave that environment? It's about how we define boundaries and the dynamics of that activity."

Tokoro is set around an environmental installation. Lighting is used to suggest architectural columns. As Kawai negotiates her way through this environment, her choreography explores a range of hot/cold dualities: chaotic/calm, fortress/frontier, sanctuary/prison. She is joined by longtime collaborator David Forlano, who contributes sound and movement.

This being her first evening-length work, Tokoro has special meaning for Kawai. She's looking to jump to the next platform in her career and is filled with anticipation about how the work is received. "I'm hoping on a visceral abstract level the movement will be very captivating," says Kawai.

Roko Kawai, Tokoro: Territorial Imperative, Fri. & Sat., Dec. 12 & 13, 8 p.m., Philadelphia Arts Bank, Broad & South Sts., 569-9700.

-Deni Kasrel