PROJECTS

Katsura's practice is drawn from Somatic approach, which focuses on the sensory body and its own intelligence. She has an enthusiasm for performance in non-theatre settings. Improvisation is Katsura’s way to investigate the world and her works involve collaboration with other artists from another disciplines. 

KATSURA ISOBE           

磯部 桂

 

PROJECTS HISTORY


INDEPENDENT PROJECTS


[IMPROVISATION]


CROSSINGS, PRACTICE IN PUBLIC 4

Duet with Fumi Tomioka at Queen’s Crescent Market and Parlour Gallery, London.

Space for Change exhibition. November- December, 2011.


CROSSINGS

Duet with Fumi Tomioka at Siobhan Davies Studios, London.

Stranger than Fiction improvisation platform. October, 2011.


PRACTICE IN PUBLIC 3

Duet improvisation with Fumi Tomioka at Hair and Jerome Hairdresser Salon.

Spontaneous Combustion Urban Guerrilla Dance Festival.  July 2011.


PRACTICE IN PUBLIC 2

Duet improvisation with Fumi Tomioka at Bethnal Green Gardens.

Spontaneous Combustion Urban Guerrilla Dance Festival.  July 2011.


PRACTICE IN PUBLIC

Group improvisation inspired by Deborah Hay at ARtCH, London. March 2011.


I’M HERE- improvisation version

Solo improvisation as part of Stranger than Fiction event at Church on the Corner. October 2010


TODAY

An evolution of Raincoat with a focus on music, dance and voice improvisation, developed under Weave research residency facilitated by Thomas Kampe at London Metroplitan Univeristy. May 2009.  Still work-in-progress.


RAINCOAT

Music and dance improvisation, Duet improvisation with a cellist Ute Kanngiesser, at London Metropolitan University. November 2008.


L’INSTANT DECISIF

Solo improvisation with interactive technology, devised by Paul Verity Smith (Miranda Arts), Beijing & Shanghai, China. March 2006


DYING ON MY FEET

Solo improvisation with interactive technology, with Miranda Arts, at Digital Cultures Lab, Nottingham. December 2005


BODY/SOMA/SELF

Group improvisation informed by Feldenkrais® and dance, with Thomas Kampe. Artist projects at Chisenhale Dance Space. March 2005


IN-BETWEEN SPACES

Site-specific duet improvisation in LABAN building, devised by Anja Beyer. September 2003


DEAD EAST,  DEAD WEST

Structured duet improvisational performance with technologies at ICA, directed by Susan Broadhurst. August 2003



[COLLABORATION WITH OTHER ART FORMS]


FRAGMENTS

Installation solo performance, collaborated with Printmakers Jairo Zaldua and Nicoela Green at Bankside Gallery, Space@Clarence Mews, Space Studios, Moving Architecture, Triangle Gallery and Monty’s Bar & Lounge. July 2011-January 2008


I’M HERE

Solo work in collaboration with Sound Artist, Manabu Shimada, at Cafe OTO, Stranger than FIction, Independent Dance and Brunel University. April 2011- October 2010


UKIYO

Installation performance with interactive technologies, created in a research collaboration between DAP-Lab and Keio University / Inetdance Japan, at Brunel University, Kibla Multimedia Centre Slovenia, and Lilian Baylis Studio in Sadler’s Wells. December 2010- June 2009.


SUNA NO ONNA

Installation performance with interactive technologies, directed by Johannes Birringer and Michele Danjoux (Dans Sans Joux), at LABAN, and then Waterman.  March 2008-December 2007


YELLOW  WALL-PAPER

Installation performance, devised by Caroline Collinge(Cabinet of Curiosity), at Crypt St Pancras Church.  March-April 2006


AEQUILIBRIUM 

Dance photography with photographer, Fulvio Rubesa.

The first exhibited at The Place, then international &national.  January -February 2005


SIX SECOND DANCES

Movement-based film directed by Paul Verity Smith. May 2004



[CHOREOGRAPHIES]


SIXTYY-FIVE FEET DOWN

Solo. Creative Space Residency at Clarence Mews. July 2007


AND BREATHE…

Duet.  The Third International Serge Diaghilev Competition of Choreography Art, Poland October 2004

Resolution! at The Place, Robin Howard Dance Theatre. January 2004


SCENE#1

Solo with installation, MA Degree Show, Laban.  September 2002


THERE AND THEN

Quartet, Solstice Festival at Bonnie Bird Theatre. June 2002


HOUSE

Solo. February 2000


CONVECTION- CHALLENGING

Solo. March 1999


GIRL LU LU LU…

Solo. March 1998


SHINIG DARKNESS

Solo. March 1997




COLLABORATION WITH OTHER COMPANIES


ROSEMARY LEE


SQUARE DANCES    Site-specific performance at Gordon Square, London. Dance Umbrella. October 2011


CLOD ENSEMBLE


ANATOMY PIECE      Research & Development for new work to be premiered in 2011 at Sadler’s Wells. Feb-March 2010



CAROL BROWN DANCES


GLOW             Site-specific performance for Lightbox galleries, Woking. April 2007


SEA, UNSEE  Work-in-progress performance at Digital Cultures Lab, Nottingham. December 2005

                        Research & development towards interactive performance with technology, Copenhagen. November 2005


TOPOS            Re-sited; White Christmas at The Place. December 2005

                        Site-sensitive performance with community, Woking. September 2005




STEPHANIE SCHOBER & DANCE COMPANY


CATCH

Duet with the choreographer 

National tour 2007-08: Alsager Arts Centre, Greenroom, South Bank Centre, Derby Dance, Laban. July 08- October 2007 

National tour 2005-06: South Bank Centre, Alsager Arts Centre, Lawrence Batley Theatre, LABAN, Colchester Arts Centre, Bowen West Theatre, Prema, British Dance Edition 2006, Nottedance06. May 2006 - November 2005


CHANGE

Quartet  International tour 2004-06. March 2006- May 2004


INSIDE US

Quartet  National tour 2003-06. March 2006- March 2003


MADE ELSEWHERE (Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award 2002) 

Duet with the choreographer. International tour 2002. October-January 2002


RECOLLECTED

Trio  International tour 2001-02. April 2002- January 2001




OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES IN TOKYO, JAPAN 1994- 1999

Contact

                  info@katsuraisobe.net

FRAGMENTS (2008- current)                        >>>Watch the video

A collaborative work between Katsura Isobe, a dance artist, and Jairo Zaldua and Nicola Green, experimental printmakers. Originating from two short stories: 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and 'The Diary of a Madman' by Nikolai Gogol, Jairo and Nicola have created a series of prints that are variations and developments from a single picture of a girl. These are viewed as slide projections during the performance and also as a print out on a large transparent sheet. The artists have also played with the actual text from the stories, which have been taken apart and now deviate away from their original meanings. This is visible on the prints on the cylinder-shaped paper curtain as well as the paper strips worn by the performer. Katsura, the performer, is an inhabitant of the psycho-physical world created by Jairo and Nicola. The performance is about the journey towards an untouchable place, where the viewer sees only fragmentary things.                                       >>>More information

DANS SANS JOUX/ DAP LAB

UKIYO (2009-2010)

Installation performance with interactive technologies, directed by Johannes Birringer and Michele Danjoux. Ukiyo explores the layers of perceptions in an ephemeral aural world that constantly shifts and fragments. The audience is invited to move freely around the space while dancers and musicians interact with projected images and virtual worlds, featuring audiophonic design, live sound processing, animations and 3d digital designs and virtual choreography, 

>>> Read a creative journal

>>> Watch a video of an excerpt

CABINET OF CURIOSITY

YELLOW WALL-PAPER (2005-2006)

The starting point of the work is the fin de siécle novel, The Yellow Wall-paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Under the direction of scenographer Caroline Collinge, the exploration started from the relationship between body movement and costume. Eventually the work evolved into a site-specific installation performance at the Crypt, St Pancras Church. Improvisation performance by two dancers and a cellist

relates to varied artworks: architecture, costumes, printmaking and soundscapes.

MIRANDA ARTS

L’INSTANT DECISIF (2005-2006)

Interactive technology performance directed by Paul Verity Smith. Katsura’s live performance manipulates the projected film through movement sensors attached on her body. The film shows Katsura’s improvised movement that was inspired by each location in an abandoned coal mine. The relationship between the live performer and the one in the film reveals some kind of narrative, which is different every time, as Katsura’s performance is improvised.

FLUVIO RUBESA

AEQUILIBRIUM  (2004-2005)

Photography project by Fluvio Rubesa, exploring aequilibrium- balance with the dancing body, photography technique and printing method.

Photo: Gigi GIannella

Photo: Kibla Arts Centre

Photo: Miranda Artshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/gigigiannella/

Photo: Fulvio Rubesa

Photo: Gigi Giannella

PRACTICE IN PUBLIC series (2011- current)

>>> Watch a video (coming soon)


A series of improvisation performance with little planning in specific public environment.


Practice in Public 4) Queen’s Crescent Market and Parlour Gallery, Kentish Town. Performance by Fumi Tomioka and Katsura Isobe. Part of Space for Change exhibition organised by LOOP. 3rd December 2011.


Practice in Public 3) Hair and Jerome Hairdresser Salon.  Performance by Fumi Tomioka and Katsura Isobe. Part of Spontaneous Combustion Festival organised by ARtCH. 3rd July 2011.


Practice in Public 2) Bethnal Green Gardends. Performance by Fumi Tomioka and Katsura Isobe. Part of Spontaneous Combustion Festival organised by ARtCH. 2nd July 2011.


Practice in Public 1) Dance and music improvisation at ARtCH London, venue under rails in Bethnal Green. Music by Ute Kanngiesser (cello), Guillaume Viltard (double bass). Dance by Lilly Picts, Alenka Herman, Mariana Marquez, Katsura Isobe. 10th March 2011.

I’M HERE (2010- 2011)

Katsura's solo work made in collaboration with sound artist Manabu Shimada. I'M HERE was performed in four occasions with further development each time.            

>>>Watch the video

  1. - I’m here at Brunel University

  2. - I’m Here at Independent Dance Feedback Forum

  3. - I’m Here at Stranger than Fiction, improvisation version

  4. - I’m Here at Cafe OTO (premiere)


Audience feedback on I'M HERE.

  1. Different mood of presence

  2. Dispersed voice, objects in different places makes me think she is not there as paradox.

  3. I see identity, cultural shift, shifting between places, east and west...

  4. When she says "I'm Here", it tells me where she was in past.

Photo: Eleanor Sikorski

Photo: Gigi GIannella

Image: Vera Hochkofler

CROSSINGS (2011- current)


Collaboration with Dance Artist Fumi Tomioka. Structured improvisation inspired by a crossing of road with its speed, patterns, people’s gesture. The work is also site-sensitive and depending a site, the structure is modified. Supported by Big Dance 2012, Space@Clarence Mews. Newington Dance Space and Middlesex University.

>>> Read a blog

>>> Watch a video of an excerpt