NATSU NAKAJIMA Career

Career Outline

1943 Born in Sakhalien
1955 Entered Masa Tsuchiya Classical Dance Academy
1958 Entered Masami Kuni Dance Academy
1962 Entered Kazuo Ohno Dance Institute
1963 Took part as co-founder in the 'First Creative Activity of Butoh' with Tatsumi Hijikata as a leader
1963-68 Performed in workes directed and choreographed by Hijikata
1969 Established Muteki-sha(Fog Horn Dance Company),workes premiered in Tokyo

Muteki-sha Dance Company Productions,choreographed and directed by Natsu Nakajima

1969 Reiko Zo(A Portrrait of Reiko) Shinjuku,Pit-In,Tokyo
1972 Natsuyasumi(Summer Vacation) Akasaka Kokaido,Tokyo
1973 Hinemos Kagurazaka-sho(One Day in Kagurazaka) Ogikubo kannon Hall,Tokyo
1976 Sorewa Konoyouna Yoru datta(It was a Night Like This) Meguro Asbestos Hall,Tokyo(*directed and choreographed by Tatsumi Hijikata)
1977 Gogh San e(Dedicated to Mr.Van Gogh) Yotsuya Kokaido,Tokyo
1982 Niwa(the Garden) Shinjuku Mozart Salon,Tokyo

NIWA(The Garden) Selected Performance History

1982
Tokyo Premiere at Mozart Salon/Japan
1983
London International Festival/Engrand
Edinburgh International Festival/Engrand
The Tron Theater/Grasgow/Engrand
Plan K Theatere/Brusseles/Bergium
Festival International Teatro de Sitges/Spain
Dublin International Festival/Ireland

1984
Israel Festival/Jerusalem/Israel
The Place Theater/London/Engrand
Teater de Nation/Nancy/France
The Civic Hall/Metz/Paw/France
Anccona Danze/Ancona/Italy

1985
Chang Mu Theatre/Seoul/Korea
International Festival de Nouvelle Danse/Montreal/Canada
National Theatre/Ottawa/Canada
The Asia Society/New York/USA
Klapstuck'85 International Dance Festival/Ieuven/Bergium

1987
Los Angeles Arts Festival/Los Angeles/USA
Cervantino Festival/Mexico City/Mexico
The Asia Society/New York/USA
Toronto Dance Festival/Toronto/Canada

Sleep and Reincarnation from Empty Land (Performance History)

1987
T2 Studio/Tokyo/Japan

1988
Festival International Teatro de Sitges/Spain
Mayfest/Grasgow/Engrand
ICA/London/Engrand
Sydney Biennale/Sydney Opera House/Australia(as part of Mitsui Close-up Japan)
Moderna Dansteatern/Stockholm/Sweden
La Mama/New York/USA

1989
International Festival de Nouvelle Danse/Montreal/Canada
Campinas International Theatre Festival/Campinas/Brazil

2003
<Where the flower missing it’s fragrance is going> at Tatsumi Hijikata
Exhibition/Kawasaki City Museum/Japan
2004
<It’s getting Late> Natsu Nakajima & Mutekisha’s 40th Anniversary
Performance of Butoh/Premier at Japan Foundation Forum/Tokyo/Japan
2005
<The Seed> at Arusu Nova /Tokyo /Japan
2006
<No Roots No Leaves>at Kitazawa Town Hall / Tokyo/Japan
<The Wall> at Terepsicore/Tokyo/Japan
2008
<The Dream of Dragonfly>at Yotsuya Gallery Lamp/Tokyo/Japan
2009
<Another 　Republic> at Owl Theatre/tokyo/Japan

Commissioned Choreography & Direction Works

1988 Commissioned by Montreal Danse for <Ghost Stories> Canada
1993 Commissioned by Randolph Street Galleery For <Towards Diane Arbus> Chicago/USA
1994 Commissioned by 'Fujiwara Invention' for <The Sumida River> Canada
2005 Commissioned by Lola Lince <Komachi Story>
2006 Commissioned by Lola Lince <Lilith>
2009 Commissioned By The department of National theatre of fine arts in Mexico <Tempest>

Grant & Award

Natsu Nakajima recieved a 6 month fellowship from Asian Cultural Counsil to live and study in The United States.(from October 1988 till June 1989)

Natsu Nakajima recieved a Special Artist Praise from APAP in New York/USA in 1988.

Natsu Nakajima recieved the first praise of Choreography for 'Ghost Stories' in Canada Festival 1990.

Selected Workshop History

1984
Israel Festival/Jerusalem/Israel

1985
California Institute of the Arts/Los Angeles/USA
The Asia Society/New York/USA

1987
University of Southern California/Los Angeles/USA
University of Mexico/Mexico City/Mexico

1988
International Congress Reseach in Dance/Tronto/Canada
Concordia University/Montreal/Canada
Quebec University/Montreal/Cnada
Kampo Cultual Center/New York/USA

1989
University of Veracrus/Mexico
New York University/New York/USA
Suny,Brockport/New York/USA
Rhode Island Scool of Design/Providence/USA
Brown University/Providence/USA
La MaMa/New York/USA

1990
International Scool of Theatre Anthoropology(ISTA) Bolonia/Italy

1991
Japan Festival/Wales/U.K.
Laban Institute/New York/USA

1994
'Kokoro Dance Company' Vancouver/Canada
'Fujiwara Invention' Toronto/Canada
'Dansens Hus' Copenhagen/Denmark

1995
'LUME'University Estadual De Campinas/Brazil
Teatro T Xalapa/Mexico

1996
International Scool of Theatre Anthoropology/Copenhagen/Denmark

1997
Fu Jen Cathoric University/International Conference Religeion & Riterature/Taiwan

2000
Sevilla/Spain

2002
Dance Umbrella in Toronto/Canada

2007
Dance Experimental in Guanajuato/Mexico
Ballet Teatro Espacio in Mexico City

2008
Dance Experimental in Guanajuato/Mexico
Brusshing Poppy in Chicago/U.S.A

2009
Vancouver International Festival/Canada
Fujiwara Inventions in Toronto/Canada
Mizu Project in Portland/U.S.A
Guadalajala University/Mexico
Ballet Teatro Espacio/Mexico

Dance Education For The Handicapped

1992 Estabrished shinjuku class for (Body & Mind)
1992 Estabrished Machida Class for (Body & Mind)
1992 Estabrished Suginami Class for (Body & Mind)
1993 U.C.P.(United Cerebral Pulsy) New York,Workshop
1996 The first Performance of MUTEKISHA DANCE COMPANY with the handicapped. "Loitering Chirdren Going Nowhere" Yokohama Art Camp
1996 Estabrished Yokohama Class for (Body & Mind)
1998 Estabrished Funabashi Class for (Body & Mind)