MIDTOWN BLOSSOM 2024

A sculpture made of 18.5 tons of marble billions of years old in Pietrasanta, Italy. When you sink into the hole carved into the stone, you will feel as if you are part of the earth, and you can hear the silent voices of ancient times emanating from the stone. Inside the hole carved into the stone, the artist would like you to feel a sense of relief as if you are settling into the earth.

K-BALLET Opto started as a joint project between K-BALLET COMPANY, franchise company of Bunkamura Orchard Hall, and Bunkamura. Inviting emerging and significant choreographers in the current dance scene, the project aims to present original works in collaboration with other genres. By presenting dance pieces that shed light (ie:Opto) on dance from a different perspective, we aim to provide a fresh performative experience for the audience.

Choreographer. Giuseppe joined Balletto di Roma in 2002, and later joined Compagnia Aterballetto in 2004. While working there, he performed works by Jiri Kylian and Ohad Naharin among others, under the artistic direction of Mauro Bigonzetti. Later he moved to Germany and joined Gauthier Dance. From 2010 he joined Hessisches Staatsballett; under the artistic direction of Stephan Thoss he is inspired to begin choreographing. In 2011, Spota receives "THE FAUST", the German Theater Prize for best dancer of the year for his performance in "Blaubart" from Stephan Thoss. That same year he ranks 2nd place at the Hanover International Choreographic Competition, with his first choreography UN / ATTAINABLE. From August 2019 Giuseppe is the new artistic Director of MiR Dance Company Gelsenkirchen. He is one of the upcoming choreographers gaining momentum in the field.

Artist / Musician. He started his career in the fields of music and art while he was in university. He has been active as a member of Open Reel Ensemble and Braun Tube Jazz Band since 2009. In 2015, he launched ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS!, a project to create new electromagnetic musical instruments from old electrical appliances to form an orchestra. He received the 68th Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts for new artists. As a standard-bearer of contemporary art, his performances have always attracted attention, and this work is sure to be an opportunity for him to showcase his extraordinary inspiration, especially as a musician.

Dancer. In 1993, she joined the Asami Maki Ballet Tokyo and made her debut as the lead in "The Nutcracker" at the age of 18. With the opening of The National Ballet of Japan in 1997, she moved to the ballet company, and performed with Yoko Morishita and Miyako Yoshida in the inaugural performance "Sleeping Beauty." Since then, she has starred as a principal of the group in numerous leading roles, including many premieres. She is one of Japan's leading ballet dancers with excellent expression, skills, and dignity. She has also appeared in classical ballet, contemporary dance, and musicals. She launched the dance group Altneu with Yasutake Shimaji in 2013. Her performance repertoire covers works from classical ballet to contemporary dance such as works by Toshiki Okada. She received the Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts in 2009, the 35th Nimura Dance Prize in 2015, the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2017, the 39th Akiko Tachibana Special Prize in 2018, and the Tokyo Shimbun Dance Art Prize in 2020.