Born in Osaka, Japan, Michiyasu Furutani is a choreographer, dancer, and performer whose work and expression grow from Butoh technique and practice. In the process of continual research, he has developed his vocabulary of movement to encompass in improvisation and a variety of modern and classical dance techniques forming necessity, possibility, and contingency. Furutani has collaborated frequently with theater-directors, filmmakers, architectures, painters, and musicians such as Shibusa-Shirazu Orchestra, Sun Ra Arkestra, and so forth, aiming to broaden the communicational passage amongst diverse art disciplines, and has performed widely throughout the world, continually investigating new modes of expression and movement. Also, believing that improvisation is a crucial factor in the possibility of discovering new spaces for mutual sharing and exchanging our experiences and knowledge of corporeal sense.
He studied BA Theatre act at Nihon University, college of Art in Tokyo, and in 2019 Spring, completed a master program „Solo/Dance/Authorship“ at HZT – Hochschulübergreifendes Zentrum für Tanz in Berlin, a joint responsibility of the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) and the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch (HfS Ernst Busch).
Long-time interest
As a choreographer, a researcher, and a practitioner of dance, I explore the fields of physical movements based on the idea of how to adapt to gravity, which is inherent in all objects no matter how small and big and continuously affects the moving body. At the same time, I also see emotions such as love, friendship, and solidarity as a form of movement, since gravity already affects the stillness before any events begin, and attracts all matters with each other. I consider that this gravity-centering concept, but not tend to be ego-centric, will delineate the internal and external movements’ structure to approach hints that unravel the correlation of individuals and society.
I am also interested in and engage in the visual art form to deploy not only regarding bodies and objects but also about phenomena related to light, sound waves, the temperature in a designated space by mingling the idea of movements. I believe that this approach might lead to propose an insight into current social problems and environmental issues such as water depletion, energy challenges, all matters we face in the coming time.