- From Villages to the Stage -
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Musical Theater
Perhaps the most notable aspect of Katogi’s work is his unique narrative experience called “Oto-Mai-Gatari” or “Music-Dance-Story”.
Blending elements of traditional folk music, dance, and Kyogen theater (Katogi studied with Senzaburo Shigeyama sensei for over ten years), Katogi’s original narratives are at once comedic and ephemeral, exploring contemporary topics while immersed in the world of folklore. Described as a “Japanese Musical” or “Japanese Operetta“, the drama of the human experience unfolds in his unique world where dance and theater, past and present become inseparably one.
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Lifestyle
work & movement
Behind the birth of folk dance and music was a life lived alongside the changing seasons. Spring, summer, fall, winter; there is work suited for each season.
“By growing food, chopping wood…doing the work that is necessary for staying alive, you naturally create the body needed for dance. “
The movements of Katogi, while dancing and playing Taiko, show no excess or strained force. At the root of his graceful dance movements and Bachi handling that effectively utilize the whole body, is the body movements developed by his daily physical work.
“I DON’T PRACTICE ANY SPECIAL TRAINING.”
Hand crafting
“As much as possible, I try to make my own tools.
The human body size and balance has changed over time. If I use costumes exactly in their traditional measurements, it wouldn’t fit me, or usually isn’t available exactly the way I want it.
So, I have to make it. “
Packed in the practice space next to his residence are masks, head decorations and regalia hand-crafted by Katogi. Entering the space, it almost feels like a small cultural museum. It is because of these tools, every color and shape purposefully selected, that he is able to create the stage performance he envisions.
Hunting
Katogi is also a member of the Achi village hunting club. The appearances and mannerisms of animals often appear as motifs in the movements and costumes of Japanese folk dance, illustrating the close connection of its development with the natural world.
“By hunting, I’m realizing what it means to receive the life of another in order to sustain my own.”
