| UMAMI
Performance is Aiko Kinoshita and Aaron Swartzman in collaboration
since 2006.
photo
by Laurent Ziegler 2008
UMAMI
performance creates movement metaphors grounded in the extraordinariness
of the everyday. Commitment to depth of process, the collaborative,
intimate nature of their work and the mindful blending of set and
improvised performance are defining features of UMAMI performance’s
aesthetic as they explore the questions that make them who they
are. Brought together by shared interests in improvisation, natural
physicality, dynamic partnering, and the subtlety of human relationship,
the collaboration continues to grow through a strong interest in
the meeting of set and improvised material and the challenge of
creating clear and cohesive story-telling within the rawness and
immediacy of improvisation. Swartzman and Kinoshita aim to stay
true to the depth and mystery of their artistic process while crafting
subtle, gripping dance work, rooted in everyday experience. They
share a long history as generative performers in Seattle's LINGO
dancetheater, and in other improvisational performance and co-teaching
ventures.
UMAMI
Performance has had the honor of presenting work at BRINK
(07) 10 Tiny Dances/Seattle (07), Velocity's NEXTfest Northwest
(08) and Velocity's BIG BANG! UMAMI Performance was also in-residence
at the Orcas Center to teach and perform in summer of 2006.
Currently,
UMAMI Performance is working on:
Home
Bodies/2
… a contemporary dance duet interweaving the poignancy of
the mundane with dynamic physicality and highly structured improvisation,
to depict the intimacies of sharing a home. Home Bodies/2 will premiere
at Northwest New Works at on the Boards, June 5-7, 2009. Home Bodies/2
is the third work in the Finding Home Series which also includes,
Nearly To and Home Bodies/1 |
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| photo
: Tim Summers |
photo
: Laurent Ziegler |
photo
: Jim Clymer |
photo
: Tim Summers |
BIOS
Aiko
Kinoshita is involved in contemporary dance as a choreographer,
performer, teacher, and arts administrator. Her choreography has been
presented nationally and in Canada, Korea and Japan and has received support
from the Bossak-Heilbron Charitable Foundation, 4Culture, City of Issaquah,
and City of Bellevue among others. Aiko has danced with regional choreographers,
performed in her own work through her company, acornDance, and toured
nationally and internationally as a member of Lingo Dancetheatre (2002-2007).
Aiko holds a MFA in Dance from the University of Illinois and teaches
at Open Flight where she is a resident artist and at Velocity Dance Center
where she was Managing Director until 2005.
Aaron
Swartzman is a dancer, father, improviser, Capoierista and educator.
He began dancing as a child, taking classes at Creative Dance Center and
performing with Kaleidoscope Dance Company. After college, his love of
improvisation, collaboration, and the body in motion brought him back
to dance. He has danced professionally since 2001, working deeply with
LINGO dancetheater and LeGendre Performance and touring to such places
as Düsseldorf, Minneapolis, New York, San Diego, Cleveland (Ohio
and Mississippi), Portland, Vancouver, B.C. and Nashville. He has been
creating collaborative duets with Aiko Kinoshita since 2006. He believes
in the richness and practice of discovering spontaneous beauty and weaving
it towards ongoing artistic transformation.
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