On View: Japan (sound design)

BACKGROUND This is the Japanese chapter of the On View project – a dance film series (directed by Sue Healey) which interrogates ideas about portraiture, identity and the moving body whilst using sound to clearly frame the audience experience. It celebrates artists with unique skills, exposing diverse philosophies of moving and ways of thinking through the body. Using Huron’s principle of “misattribution”, sound was instrumental in antiphonally driving and withholding perceived energy. CONTRIBUTION The On View installation featured six 5-minute dance films. Darrin Verhagen composed the score for each film based on the character and particular dance style of its featured artist. The mix of different choreographic approaches, personality, setting and energy required completely different compositional approaches – from contemplative Butoh through to percussive flourishes, intensely synched to image. Energy was a particular point of focus in this project (eg. Nobuyoshi’s dematerialisation vs Kenta’s highly synchresis-based energy).The extremes explored by the soundtracks were an innovative demonstration with how sound, through both contrasting states of energy, when combined with light touches of diegetic atmosphere, can weave between crafting a perceived internal psychological state and gestural amplification. As such, the suite of compositions demonstrates how musical approaches can move between honouring a Labanian relationship between movement, effort and emotion and a much more layered approach, grounded in the history of cinema. SIGNIFICANCE The work was funded by Australia Council, Create NSW, Japanese Arts & Culture Initiative, and produced by the Aichi Prefectural Art Theatre, Nagoya. It was produced with cooperation from Nagoya University of Arts & Sciences, Japan. Advertised by the Japanese Embassy in Australia on their social media, the work was screened as part of a two-week exhibition at the Yokohama’s renowned Red Brick Warehouse, attracting 2000 visitors.