stück 1998/anchor 2018

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  • 101% contributed

As a dancemaker, I have always been passionate about the collaborative possibilities between dance/movement and music/sound. While knowing that my work is not created in a soundless vacuum, an ongoing interest of mine is to explore the independence of dance in relation to music. My own artistic search for “independence” overlaps with my experiences as a Japanese woman who hails from a traditional culture where women are expected to be demure and to accommodate others in order to maintain harmony. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of my dance company this year, I am creating an ambitious new work that allows me to experiment with these ideas using a dynamic piece of music: 30-pages from a 4,000 page score called stück 1998 written by Swiss composer Manfred Werder. For this new work, I am seeking to break out from expectations and recapture the possibilities in existing and new relationships between dance and music. I am preparing different choreographic material for four days of performances on February 16, 18, 22, and 24 at Links Hall as part of a Co-MISSION Fellowship . To share inspirations gained through this creative process, I am planning to publish an artist book. Support from this campaign is critical to helping me cover artist fees, costume design/construction, and book printing. Since my arrival in Chicago in 2004, the dance community has nurtured my experimental spirit. And now, for the first time in my life, I am seeking your support to complete this exciting and celebratory project successfully.

About This Project

This new work will be a milestone in my company’s 20th anniversary year to continue my philosophical research focusing on: What is dance? What is choreography? What is movement? and What is the independence of dance from music?

Manfred Werder’s stück 1998 has 160,000 time units, each indicating a duration of 12 seconds, comprising 6 seconds of sound followed by 6 seconds of silence, with no fixed instrumentation. The sound is indicated by a pitch from a six-octave range. When instruments cannot play the pitch, the musician will be in silence for 12 seconds. The work is “actualized” in sections that can be performed only  once. Out of this seemingly infinite score, I have been working on pages 879-908.  

In my work, stück 1998/anchor 2018, dancers/musicians and a singer/dancer will actualize the score, and in doing so, are challenged to cross the intersections of their creative disciplines: for instance, dancers also play an instrument (piano/sing) and musicians also move. The piece will unfold differently over four days: Day 1, Music/Sound First; Day 2, Movement/Dance First; Day 3, Sound/Music and Movement/Dance as Equals; Day 4, Independence of Dance which will be titled anchor 2018. Dancers/musicians will physically and sonically demonstrate their independence/interdependence found in the intersections among the physical, sonic, spatial, and mental capabilities of movement and sound.

My choreography is both compositional and improvisational and all in between. It is constantly evolving and going beyond definition. It is absolute and also chance. Yet, the chance is also absolute and the absolute is also chance. Both are interdependent. In the infinite format of Werder’s music score, dance is challenged to gain its own freedom, identity, and independence.

Through this four-day journey, the audience will observe limits as well as infinite possibilities of each art form and their commonly shared artistic and physical threads. The audience will perceive the nature of dance in relation to music as well as what movement can convey, what movement means, and what movement is.  

Thank yous

Contribute any amount or choose from the levels below.

• $20
  “Center of Gravity” named credit on the printed program and an online personal thank you. ($20.00 is tax deductible.)
• $50
  “Deep Breathing” named credit, plus online thank you and an invitation to an open rehearsal. ($50.00 is tax deductible.)
• $75
  “Awareness” named credit, plus above and two $5 discount promo codes for performances on Day1/Day2 (first week) and Day 3/4 (the second week). ($65.00 is tax deductible.)
• $100
  “Spiral” named credit, plus above and a stück 1998 digital album. ($83.00 is tax deductible.)
• $250
  “Reading Air” named credit, plus above and a signed artist book with personal thank you card by Ayako and two free tickets to any day of the show. ($193.00 is tax deductible.)
• $500
  “Feeling Zen” named credit, plus above and an additional two tickets (total 4) to any day of the show and a "post-show toast" with two glasses of Lamarca Prosecco with Ayako and cast. ($405.00 is tax deductible.)
• $1000
  “Infinite” named credit, plus above and a free pair of tickets for all days of the show, and a post-show afternoon tea with Ayako and cast. ($845.00 is tax deductible.)

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Ayako Kato

Reva & David Logan Foundation Awardee

Called “moving everyday sculptures, artfully cast in naturalness” (Luzerner Zeitung, Switzerland), Ayako Kato established her dance company Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape in 1998 and has been active as a choreographer, dancer, educator, and curator. She has created work through interdisciplinary …

View Ayako Kato's profile

• 16 updates
• 38 supporters

• Update 1: Deep Thank You!!

  Posted on January 16, 2018

   

  I cannot express my Thank You enough for the first anonymous donor! You gave me hope, initiating this experience!!

  Update 2: Thank you for your warm support!

  Posted on January 19, 2018

   

  Billie Howard! Thank you for being aware of what is happening with me and the project! I feel your warm heart! Cheers, Ayako

  Update 3: Spiral Appreciation!

  Posted on January 20, 2018

   

  Deep Thank you to Christy Uchida for your generous contribution! It means a lot to me and I hope you will enjoy the "stück 1998" digital album sound. It really calms us down. I remember I enjoyed watching the clouds moving with it...so maybe snow dancing outside?! Also looking forward to having you at our open rehearsal! I actually noticed that you can pick out any other Day to sneak peek before the show! Thank you! 

  Update 4: Thank you for your kind and warm support!!

  Posted on January 23, 2018

   

  Dear Ms. Eeva Smith, Thank you so much for your warm support from afar. Yet we feel your kindness and love to Wilson a lot. Thank you for opening up the path for Wilson to pursue this artist way since he was younger. He is doing wonderful, and he is very insightful and thoughtful. He is a wonderful to work with! Warmest regards, Ayako and cast members

  Update 5: You sense the "Center of Gravity," Kay!

  Posted on January 23, 2018

   

  Thank you so much for your support, Kay!! Deep Appreciation for your awareness!! xoxo, Ayako

  Update 6: Wow...Thank you and ...

  Posted on January 24, 2018

   

  Dear Prof. William Brooks,

  Thank you so much for your kind support and being curious about the project!! Now I learned that you had the association with Cage and I am honored and excited to know you in this way! Please come to see the show and talk to me and cast members, and we will be curious what you think!! 

  All our best to you and thank you so much again!

  Ayako

  Update 7: I am crying in my mind with Glatitude

  Posted on January 25, 2018

   

  Thank you so much, Julieanne Ehre, for extending your long standing support of my work!! I deeply appreciate your contribution. It means a lot to me.

  Update 8: Spiral Spiral ... Thank you!!!

  Posted on January 26, 2018

   

  Dear Mark, Thank you so much for your generous and warm contribution!! Your action Cheered me up!! Looking forward to seeing you at the show(s), too!! Hooray!! With Deep Appreciation, Ayako

  Update 9: Thank you for Reading Air!

  Posted on January 29, 2018

   

  Thank you so much for your anonymous contribution as "Reading Air" supporter!! We will keep working every day and please witness the outcome of our hard work in February!! We are not taking an easy path, and I truly appreciate your Help to sustain the artistic pursuit of this ambitious project!!

  Update 10: Costume design in progress!

  Posted on February 05, 2018

   

  Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. This project will happen beautifully because of you! We are working on elements of the show, coming up in a few weeks.  Here are some images of the costume design by Amanda Franck, showing Jeff Kimmel on clarinet and Ayako, being happy!!

   

  

  

  Update 11: Deep Breathing, Yes, Thank you! You are letting me!

  Posted on February 05, 2018

   

  Thank you so much, Kate Fiello, for your generous and warm contribution!! Your encouragement reaching me as deep breathing!! I cannot express thank you enough to receive your support in the mid-climbing period of this campaign!! Love, Ayako

  Update 12: Day 1: "Music First" was success!!

  Posted on February 18, 2018

   

  

  Update 13: This is the 14-sleeve costume!!

  Posted on February 18, 2018

   

  

  This costume is worn by dancers for Day 1- Day 4. Yet you never see the same way!! Enjoy how we are going to handle those sleeves and how the garment will transform even through movement! 

  Update 14: Thank you for coming to Day 2: "Dance/Movement First"!!

  Posted on February 20, 2018

   

  Thank you so much for coming to Day 2 of our performance!! We were so happy to share what we have been working hard and wonderful to see the smiling faces after the show!! BIG GRATITUDE!!!

  

  Photo (BW) by Jeff Kimmel

  

  Thanks to Jeff Kimmel for playing as an invisible Force to move us on Day 2!!

  Update 15: Thanks to All of YOU, I reached $2150 (72%) of my goal!

  Posted on February 20, 2018

   

  Thank you so much for all of your support!! After the two weeks of silence, today, I suddenly reached 72 % of my goal which is 2150!! Each of your contributions is GOLDEN for me and I feel so grateful and blessed by the community. To tell the truth, it took great courage for me to launch crowd fundraiser although I have known about it quite a while. I didn't expect how each time I receive I am this much warmed and encouraged. Thank you so much for your HELP.

  Update 16: Thank you so much for your support!! Artist Book is out!!

  Posted on February 23, 2018

   

  

  Dear Everyone,

  I cannot thank you enough your support in many different ways for this 20th-anniversary project. Thanks to each of your support, I now reached my 85% goal which means I have $455 to go in 7 days!  

  Last night, Day 3 finished. Yes. Only once. Yet a lot of people witnessed those moments and wonderful comments I received. Thank you so much for those witnessed the show and shows!! Also, finally, the Artist Book is done!! This is collection of my recognition during creative process, and it is a standing table calendar 2018, starting from February, and also you can send the half part as a message postcard!!

  There are 11 messages and those are such as:

  "Every moment contains infinite possibilities"

  "Stillness does something"

  "Life is a collaboration with the universe"

  etc. with each of more detailed paragraph of why I sensed so.

  To tell the truth, only 10 was available last night, yet more will be available on Sat, so please take a look at it next time!! If you are interested, please let me know! I am happy to share more about this with you!!

  One more day, Day 4, to go on Sat!!

  Cheers,

  Ayako

• Thank you to the following for contributing to 3Arts with the recommendation that we support this project.

  • Anonymous Supporter

  • Billie Howard

  • Christy Uchida

  • Eeva Smith

  • Kirsten Wendt

  • William Brooks

  • Julieanne Ehre

  • Mark Kater

  • Angela Gronroos

  • Anonymous Supporter

  • Nora Sharp

  • kate fiello

  • Mitsu Salmon

  • JOANNA FURNANS

  • Julia Mayer

  • Hui Lin

  • Kiku Taura

  • Rose Parisi

  • Hugh Sato

  • Carmen Marti

  • ML Nelson

  • Jason Shanley

  • Jasmine Mendoza

  • Laura Winter

  • Carrie Roebke

  • Michelle Kranicke

  • Laura Samson

  • William Skaleski

  • Candace Hunter

  • Junko Kajino

  • megan Schneeberger

  • Tomeka Reid

  • Joyce Coffee

  • Ginger Farley

  • Anonymous Supporter

  • Amy Rasmussen

  • anne kasdorf

  • Josh Berman

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