Juusankai-wa-gekkou - Sariel

[2025.03.13] Radiotalk: "Profession: Mansai Nomura" March 13 – Notte Stellata 2025 is the Best!

This time, I had the honor of participating as a special guest in Yuzuru Hanyu’s Notte Stellata 2025. Today, I’d like to share my thoughts and some behind-the-scenes stories. So, instead of introducing each message one by one, I’ll just talk about my experiences.

Well, the show has ended, and I’ve received a flood of messages about it. I think it's something that the producers at Nippon Television (NTV) had been planning, and it gradually became a reality, of course with Hanyu's involvement. From the very beginning, it seems there was a thought of "one day, this will happen." The first time, it was Kohei Uchimura, the second was Mao Daichi, and this time, it was my turn. The first guest was a gymnast, then an actress, and now me, a classical performing arts actor. In a way, I think the concept of the performance evolved through these stages.

Without a doubt, the conversation we had from ten years ago became the catalyst for various things. While recalling that experience, I thought about what I could do with Hanyu-san this time, what I could remember, and what I could convey. With all these thoughts in mind, I directed this collaboration.

Since it was my first time performing on an ice skating rink, I wasn’t entirely familiar with how things worked. But after watching the previous two shows, I felt that it would be best not to be too far away, and I also wanted to be as close to the audience as possible, so I made an effort to close that gap. That’s one of the key points. In Bolero, the stage was built at the center, while in SEIMEI, I ran along the rinkside. Well, I didn’t just run, I walked properly as well. The staff referred to the small protruding stages as ‘debeso’, and I believe there were four... No, actually, three of them. Small, island-like stages were set up on both the long and short sides of the rink, where I could perform. I carefully considered my performance space and how to integrate it into the skating show, drawing on the wisdom of everyone involved.

I have always performed Bolero as a solo dance, sometimes accompanied by an orchestra and at other times with the support of 40 members from a Japanese dance company. However, this time, with the strong collaboration of Hanyu Yuzuru-san, as well as Shae-Lynn Bourne-san, Tanaka-san, Mura-san, Miyahara-san, and Suzuki-san, I truly feel that something entirely new was created. Shae-san’s choreography was also highly innovative, and Hanyu-san’s presence played a significant role in bringing everything together.

Speaking of Bolero, I think that Béjart's choreography is influenced by traditional Japanese performing arts, particularly the Bon Odori style. The idea of having a yagura (raised platform) at the center with people dancing in a circular motion around it was something I specifically wanted to incorporate this time. Then, there was the question of how to position Hanyu-san’s presence. I wanted to incorporate the idea of utsushimi (manifestation or embodiment of a spirit or deity in a physical form) while ensuring that it did not overlap too much with the SEIMEI and Shikigami (spirit familiar) concept. To me, it felt like a god and its messenger bird—a phoenix itself. The kariginu I wore also featured a phoenix motif, embodying that immortal bird. In that sense, the phoenix and its 'manifestation' coexisted—that was what Bolero became for me.

The original piece was about 17 minutes long, but we condensed it to roughly half that length. More than anything, this performance carried a strong theme of requiem, so it was necessary to evoke scenes representing the deceased. With that in mind, the other performers—aside from Hanyu-san and myself—incorporated scenes depicting the sudden transition from life to death. I asked whether it was possible to lie down on the ice and for how long they could stay there. We used a black cloth like a blanket, but staying in that position for too long would be uncomfortable, so we significantly shortened the duration this time. I thought it could have been a bit longer, but I believe it turned out well in the end.

From there, we aimed for "rebirth". Since representing the four seasons is a major theme of Bolero, I wondered if we could make confetti fall like snow. In traditional theater, snow is often represented by white paper falling, but since scattering paper on an ice rink wouldn’t be ideal, we looked for an alternative. The staff suggested a solution—something like foam, which could be considered artificial snow, but perhaps it’s better described as foam. Since it would disappear quickly, it wouldn’t affect the rink, making it a perfect choice.

That snow was really wonderful. When I first saw it, I thought it was beautiful. On opening night, when Bolero began, I’m sure some people in the audience may have anticipated it, while others were completely surprised, but the collective gasp when it started was immense. And when the snow fell, there was yet another huge reaction from the audience. I’ll never forget that moment.

We also incorporated various sound effects, such as birds chirping and the sound of rain, while making extensive use of lighting. Day by day, my collaboration with Hanyu-san deepened, so did my synergy with the other five performers, creating the piece together. I took a rather provocative approach, fostering communication through mutual engagement, and I felt that everyone responded to that energy.

As for my costume, we had various discussions, and this time, I chose a red Okuchi-hangiri hakama. Since the performance space was vast, I also added some red highlights to my hair to complement the look.

Now, SEIMEI is the piece from Hanyu-san’s gold medal performance, so I didn’t want to interfere with it too much. However, I also wanted to recall the film (Onmyoji) and our past discussion. Considering that, I used the keyword Tenchi-jin (Heaven, Earth, and Man) and had him appear as a Shikigami. And so, by having him appear as a shikigami, we decided to use human-shaped paper figures as the motif. When those paper figures were cast into the air, Hanyu-senshu appeared, and in the final moment, a large number of these human-shaped papers rained down in a visually striking effect.

Additionally, the four guardian beasts of Onmyōdō—Seiryu (Azure Dragon), Suzaku (Vermilion Bird), Byakko (White Tiger), and Genbu (Black Tortoise)— which also appeared in the film, were incorporated into the performance. I thoroughly enjoyed the process.

Source: https://radiotalk.jp/talk/1287686