Often times, I feel a bit lost.
Often times, I have this “I don’t belong here” feeling.
Often times, I am in this “somewhere in between”.
I am a stranger here in New York. I am a stranger there in Japan.
I am a stranger here and there.
Wandering. Wandering.
This is a piece about my forever journey to somewhere, searching for something.
-Yuki Kawahisa
wonder. I. wanderer. I am. somewhere. in between.
Clown/Butoh inspired movement theatre performance by Chobibi
Written, directed and designed by Yuki Kawahisa
Choreographed by Yuki Kawahisa and Melissa Lohman
Yuki Kawahisa, a native of Japan, is an actor and performing artist. She moved to New York in 2005 and ever since she has been actively performing her own works and others. Kawahisa has worked with internationally acclaimed theatre directors such as Robert Wilson and Richard Forman. She has collaborated with theatre artists with different disciplines, choreographers and dancers, multimedia artists and musicians and performed in many different forms at various New York and international venues (The Public Theatre, The KITCHEN, Baryshinikov Arts Center, PS122, A.R.T/New York, Guggenheim Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Akademie der Kunste, Berlin, Creteil Maison des Arts, Paris, Brisbane Power House, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre).She is also a playwright. Her original one woman-show “The Kimono Loosened” (written and performed by) received very positive reviews throughout Canada and in New York. She has studied Balinese dance, mask dance, Wayan Klit (shadow puppet theatre) in Bali, Indonesia, Butoh from various masters, Nihon Buyo (Japanese classic dance), Noguch Taiso and clowning. She combines these materials to create her own unique form of dance and theater. www.yukikawahisa.com
Melissa Lohman is a performer, dancer, visual artist from New York City. She currently lives in Rome, Italy. BFA 2000, School of Visual Arts, NYC. In 1995 she began showing her work as a performance artist in various theaters and clubs in New York City such as the Living Theater, the Knitting Factory, UCB Theater, CBGB’s and Webster Hall. After returning to dance training a few years prior (ballet, Afro-Caribbean, Simonson technique, contemporary), in 2004 she began training in the Japanese contemporary dance form butoh with Minako Seki. She continued her training with Ko Murobushi, Yoshito Ohno, Tadashi Endo and Katsura Kan. She studied Noguchi taiso with and danced for Mari Osanai. From 2008-2010 she danced for and collaborated with Katsura Kan in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. She has brought her work as a solo performer and collaborator to theaters in Rome, Paris, Tuscania and New York. Melissa teaches dance/movement and stretch classes in different environments. www.melissalohman.com
Yuki and Melissa met in 2007 in New York City and have been collaborating ever since. They organized the New York Dance Qube, a series of performances at Melissa's live/work space in Industry City, Brooklyn 2008-2012. In 2008 they created their duo project, Chobibi and performed as such with live musicians in various venues in NYC. Chobibi brings them together again for this new work.