CONCEPT of  ? see / saw?

Mikuni Yanaihara: Choreographer, Director, Playwright, and Dancer

Leader and founder of Nibroll. A dance major at university, she received various awards while still in school such as the NHK Award. Her unique choreography which uses daily movements as motifs to express the emptiness and threats of today has been well received both in Japan and overseas, and described as one of the few choreographers that grapples with the human body. With the Mikuni Yanaihara Project, she has taken on theatre plays as her new field of work, and is busy with performances throughout the world encompassing various genres, with Nibroll and also through collaborations with numerous artists.

Keisuke Takahashi ? Visual Artist

Takahashi has been visual director of Nibroll since its establishment, and has been involved in its entire works. He is also active as a visual artist with the off-Nibroll and on an individual basis. His works were presented at numerous international festivals and exhibitions both in and outside of Japan, including Sendai Mediatheque, Oohara Museum, and BankART Yokohama as well as a solo exhibition in Italy. He also works on television productions, commercials, music clips, and visuals for fashion shows.

SKANK: Composer, Musician

SKANK joined Nibroll in 2005. Active also as a solo artist, and with his own unit ?MEXI?, he has had music sessions with artists of various genres such as musicians, fine artists, and photographers mainly cities, and does not restraining himself to a particular format. He has also provided music and performed for various stage performances, including the YUBIWA hotel?s ?Kozui ? massive water?, which he has participated as a zombie of himself since 2009. Recently he has been expanding his field of work through collaboration with artist from different genre such as the Project Circulation, project to work with challenged people (this was a participating program for the ABLE ART JAPAN),  and  ?words factory?, a collaboration with fine-art artists and animators.

Takuya Kamiike ? Set designer, Painter

Kamiike is a fine-art artist residing in Kagawa prefecture, Japan. After graduating high school, he began stage-set design and now creates artworks based on these skills and experience. He creates stage designs from an angle that?s opposite to the conventional approach, but based on two concepts; ?inevitable passage of time? and coincidental act of ?picking up?, both beyond human control and relies on contingency. He also produces two-dimensional works and installations using the same concepts. His recent prominent works includes: set design for ?Niwa Mitaina Mono? by Zan Yamashita, and installation work for the Takamatsu Contemporary Art Annual vol.10 at the Takamatsu City Museum of Art.

Emi Oyama ? Dancer

Born in Hiroshima prefecture, Emi began rhythmic gymnastics at 8, contemporary dance and ballet from 18, and participated in works by Shinji Nakamura and Kawano Mako as a dancer. She has been participated in Mikuni Yanaihara?s dance performances since 2010. She was placed 3^rd in the Senior Solo Dancer Division of the Yokohama Competition in 2005.

Akina Kinukawa ? Dancer

From Ishikawa prefecture, Akina began classic ballet and modern dance at 5. She had moved to Tokyo to major dance performance at the Japan Women?s College of Physical Education. She currently performs in various projects while teaching dance at high school.

Ayako Yamashita ? Dancer

After graduating J. F. Oberlin University in Japan, Ayako joined the Glorious Future by Kim Itoh. She had performed in numerous works choreographed by Japan?s leading artists such as Teita Iwabuchi, Momoko Shiraga, Maki Tabata, and Mikuni Yanaihara. She had started her own company Saradara in 2011, and participated in Summer Festival Pan by Komaba Agora Theatre, and Dance Impact Vol.3 by Kichijoji Theatre. She had performed her solo twice at DANCE/NEST and DANCE/NEST more at RAFT. With her thick bone and robust muscle, Ayako challenges dance every day.

Maki Kurita ? Dancer, Choreographer

Maki started dance at high school and graduated from Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences. She has started producing her own works since 2010, and had been selected to participate in BankART Artist in Residence2010 and CONNECT vol.4, competition for emerging artist by Osaka City Art Complex. Apart from her solo, she has been expanding her career by performing with more established company such as Nibroll.