An interview with choreographer and dancer Ryohei Kondo

Ryohei Kondo, a choreographer, dancer and leader of the CONDORS , who has been greatly livening up the streets of Ikebukuro with events such as the New Bon Odori festival where you can dance and laugh, will be appearing at the Tokyo Festival 2024 with the CONDORS outdoor performance "Let's Turn The Table", a program composed, choreographed and directed by Kondo Ryohei, a choreographer, dancer and leader of the Condors. On the day of the event, food trucks will be lined up at the venue, GLOBAL RING THEATRE (Ikebukuro West Exit Park Outdoor Theater), and it looks like it will be a performance that you can enjoy in a festival mood. We asked him about the details of the event.

(Reporting and writing: Kawazoe Fumiko; Photos: Hashimoto Mika; Editing: Hiroyuki Funayose)

Choreographer and dancer Ryohei Kondo will be participating in the Tokyo Festival with an outdoor performance. The body moving joyfully to music, the sense of sharing the joy of expression with others - this seems like a perfect project for Kondo's work.

Kondo: At the Bon Odori festival held in Ikebukuro, thousands of people gathered. It was amazing, wasn't it? The scene of people dancing happily while chatting, "It's fun to dance together," "It gets hot when you move!" was quite spectacular. Outside, you can incorporate spontaneity, and dancing outdoors is interesting because it's "unexpected." I have created dance works while doing flash mobs and parades, and I feel that there is a sense of "the origin of dance" there. GLOBAL RING THEATRE is located in Ikebukuro, the city that never sleeps, and is close to the station, so anyone can drop in. We will create a space here where everyone can feel at home. I hope to create a "celebratory" time where we can share our joy with each other.

This time, "Let's Turn The Table" will be led by members of Kondo's dance company "CONDORS" and dancers active in various productions, but people who were recruited through public auditions will also be performing. It will be a collaboration with a wide range of people, both men and women, of all ages. I heard that the application slots for open auditions were filled up in a flash! This special plan, which will see rehearsals starting at the end of August, is sure to bring a hot summer.

Kondo: I guess everyone wants to let go after the long period of "staying at home" due to COVID (laughs). I hope people will come and release everything that has stopped. For me, it's a bit exciting that such a project is being realized after such a long time. Where is the line between dancers, general participants, and audience members? I wonder if those boundaries will become unclear.

Before going home from work, you can take a break in the park and watch the dance. This casualness is attractive even for those who have been away from such events in recent years. I once participated in a Bon Odori dance hosted by Kondo-san and was impressed by his skill in creating an "open space" filled with a fun atmosphere. He is modest and says, "It's not the power of an individual, it's the power of the gathering, so it's not a big deal (laughs)," but no one is forced to move their bodies as they please. I am amazed at the power he has to bring the whole thing together.

Kondo: It's not really a trick, but... to be serious, everyone should have something like a switch that says "It's okay to dance" or "It's okay to open up." It's up to the individual to press it or not. All you have to do is create many opportunities to press it. It's surprisingly simple.

On the day we spoke, a male staff member asked her, "What do we do with people who can't dance?" to which she laughed and replied, "The people who say, 'I can't dance,' end up dancing really well!"

Kondo: For example, when you watch an amateur baseball game, everyone's bodies move naturally, don't they? Maybe what's needed is some kind of interlocking in the atmosphere? Personally, I love the moment when someone who said "I can't dance" suddenly starts dancing, as if to say, "Huh?" (laughs). It's no fun at all if you just watch someone who can dance like crazy. The CONDORS are about to celebrate their 30th anniversary, and some of our members are in their 60s, and our average age is rising. We're always on the edge of what most people think of as a "dancing body." So please dance with confidence! (laughs)

"The Tokyo Festival is a performing arts festival, right? But it would be great if it could become a music festival as well, a more casual event that makes people think, 'I'd like to come and visit once,'" says Kondo.

Kondo: To achieve this, I want to increase the opportunities for people to see how "exciting" the event is. After all, the word "festival" is already super exciting, isn't it? (laughs) I would be happy if this performance could help people who happen to be passing by the GLOBAL RING THEATRE to see this outdoor performance and become interested in the art festival itself, or to spread the word that it is a place where people can encounter new sensations."

I feel that Kondo's works always involve dancers who have the same "open" sensibility as he does, including the members of CONDORS. I was curious and asked him about his standards for the dancers he dances with.

Kondo: People who think "I want to share my dance with everyone"...maybe they want a little bit of nonsense (laughs). There are probably people who say, "I just want to show my wonderful dance as a piece!", and of course I don't deny that such pieces exist. But in my case, I like call and response, or dialogue with the audience, and I think that's especially necessary for a piece like this. I feel that if you just stoically increase the precision, your expression will become narrower.

I see, a little bit of nonsense! Relaxing and letting your shoulders down while moving broadens your perspective - this seems like an idea that can be useful in life too. Kondo first started dancing when she encountered "creative dance" in a physical education class at university. It was a class taught by Takahashi Kazuko, who would go on to become a leading figure in the field of education, known as "body awareness." It was the first time she experienced the sensation of having her mind "naked," and she realized the joy of expression. She then joined the university's dance club.

This is where Kondo-san's unique side comes in... In the fall of his fourth year at university, when he had truly awakened to physical expression, he set off on a backpacking trip. Through his travels, he discovered an interest in a stripped-down, true body, and in expanding the body to its fullest. His solo travels further heightened his curiosity about dance, and it was around this time that he started performing in a show that was the prototype for the CONDORS. Dancing became a part of Kondo-san's life.

Kondo: I went to my high school reunion recently. What made me super happy was that most of my classmates knew that I was dancing. I wasn't the kind of kid who did ballet from a young age, so I think they were surprised when they first found out, "Kon-chan is doing this!" (laughs). When I think about it, it's really strange and moving that I, who knew absolutely nothing about dance, am now dancing so much. Dance gets more interesting every year. I feel like I still have a lot of depth within myself, and my interest never ends. It's amazing to think that I'll continue to make new discoveries in the future.

The day of the interview was also the day of filming the lecture video for "Dance that makes you want to go to an art festival." The dance piece that was born from the question "How about this?" was fun and friendly, and before you know it, everyone in the room was dancing (including the designer, the cameraman, and even the male staff who had said "I can't dance" until just a while ago!). At the end, the room was filled with smiles and applause, making for a memorable event.

▷ Ryohei Kondo's "Dance that makes you want to go to the Tokyo Festival" video

The final choreography of the dance was a lively arm-waving "detour pose" in keeping with the theme of this year's art festival, "Transit NOW～Swing by the Stage～." The words that Kondo spoke at that time resonated with me like the concept of this performance.

Kondo: Taking a detour may be very important. There is a fountain at the GLOBAL RING THEATRE, right? You often see children jumping into the water and playing there. I wonder when we adults stopped being able to jump in. I want people to take a detour to our outdoor performance with the same feeling as if they were going to jump into the water, and play to their heart's content.

Ryohei Kondo
Founder of CONDORS/Choreographer and Dancer. Grew up in Peru, Chile and Argentina. Recipient of the 67th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Art Encouragement Prize. Recipient of the 4th Asahi Performing Arts Award Terayama Shuji Prize. Recipient of the 67th Yokohama Culture Award.
He has appeared on TBS's "Jonetsu Tairiku" and NHK General TV's "Chikyu Ichiban." He has also choreographed "Kondo-san's Exercise" on NHK Educational TV's "Karada de Asobo" and "TV Salaryman Exercise" on NHK General TV's "Salaryman NEO." He also choreographed the opening theme for the NHK drama series "Teppan." He has also provided dance instruction for the NHK historical drama "Idaten" and choreographed for "Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku," among many other films, TV shows, promotional videos, and commercials.

Involving everyone who gathers at GLOBAL RING THEATRE and those who are relaxing there, we all move together and make noise together.
A wave of dance is coming! A dance performance that everyone can enjoy.

The CONDORS, who have been involved in various performances in Ikebukuro, will be making their first appearance in a long time at the GLOBAL RING THEATRE in Ikebukuro! The venue will be lined with tables, chairs, and food trucks as a space for people to relax and enjoy their day off. Enjoy the condensed entertainment that the CONDORS will put on in an exciting festival atmosphere.

Composition, choreography and direction: Ryohei Kondo
Cast: CONDORS, publicly recruited performers, and more

Period: Saturday, September 21, 2024, Sunday, September 22, 2024 (Holiday)
Location: GLOBAL RING THEATRE (Ikebukuro West Exit Park Outdoor Theater)
Language: Japanese Admission: Free (no reservations required)
* Will proceed in light rain but will be cancelled if there is heavy rain

▷Click here for details on the program, including show times