SPICE Exclusive interview: Daisuke Takahashi challenges “HYOEN2017-BASARA-“ the collaboration of Kabuki and figure skating 2nd Half
The collaboration of Kabuki and figure skating, the topical “HYOEN2017-BASARA-“ will be held at Yoyogi National Gymnasium from May 20th to 22nd. This is going to be the world first trial and Somegoro Ichikawa, who is going to succeed to the name of Koshiro Matsumoto 10th next year, and the former figure skating World Champion Daisuke Takahashi are the members of the cast. There are more gorgeous cast members and Team Lab directs the visual effects, so the show gathers attention.
In the first half of our interview, we asked him about the HYOEN production itself but in this second half of the interview, we focus more on the person Daisuke Takahashi himself.
Daisuke Takahashi and HYOEN’s “en”
— I heard that as for “en” in HYOEN, it means a challenging will to pass across the boundaries of figure skating common sense to perform (en-jiru) and a wish to connect various relationships (en), is that right? As for your “en” (fate) with HYOEN, when did you receive this offer?
D: It was when I was in NY. In 2015, two years ago I think. It was after my retirement and I didn’t want to skate yet but I wondered to go back skating again or not… It was when I wondered a lot but I was asked that “ it seems Somegoro-san will accept the offer and we have this project, what about you?” and I genuinely thought “ is that true? If it happens, it will be interesting.”
—You didn’t feel to skate but wasn’t worried about it?
D: Right, when I received this offer, it was not certain yet when it would happen. Basically this HYOEN project started from figure skating side and (when I was asked was ) when Somegoro-san agreed readily. I thought I might skate when this project would be incarnated, so I said “Yes, I will do it”. (laugh)
It might be (good) timing. The timing mattered that I was asked for this world first collaboration, and this time HYOEN has a subtitle BASARA and collaborates with Kabuki, but if this becomes a series, I have no idea what kind of Japanese cultural art we will work with. Well, I don’t know whether I will be asked next time either.
—I heard that you wondered a lot when you were in NY. I know you said in the past that you think too much. It seems you are so cautious but on the other hand, not only HYOEN but also LOVE ON THE FLOOR as well as working as a TV caster, you have been challenging new things. What’s this?
D: I can tackle very boldly when I have people I can trust or when I can make up my mind to trust (someone). In addition, I’m a type of person who thinks “you never know until you have a try”. But I consider so much at first! You can call me a chicken and I worry so much like “it should be alright? I can do it?” and am plagued to death then I come to the conclusion finally, “there is no use to wonder about things you don’t know until you try!” In that sense, I might be cautious? Well, maybe I’m just irresponsible. (laugh)
—When you accepted HYOEN in a flash, where did your conviction come from?
D: Kabuki and figure skating are “Japanese” and “western”, completely different from each other, therefore I think HYOEN won’t be complete Kabuki nor complete figure skating. However, I think we can make something between Kabuki and figure skating, pulling each other near. Imagining such things, I thought it would be very interesting to mix something completely different. Of course, we won’t know until we actually try, but I believe I share the same gene with those Kabuki people who succeed Japanese traditional performing art. (laugh)
—Same gene? As a Japanese who understands the mind of Japan? (laugh)
D: Yes. That must be woven in my gene… well, I told you something completely irresponsible now though. (laugh) I believe that we can create something new and very Japanese with Kabuki people.
I think this must be shared and agreed with figure skating fans that when it comes to a collaboration with figure skating and something else, usually skaters are on ice and our partners on floor, ending on different places apart. I heard that we don’t have a floor for HYOEN. Kabuki actors and skaters stand face to face on the same stage. It is truly a “get together” stage and it’s rare. Somegoro-san will direct the show and it all depends on our capability I think.
—As for Somegoro-san, he collaborated with Team Lab in the Kabuki show “KABUKI Spectacle-Koi Tsukami “Fight with a Carp” in Las Vegas. You also had a collaboration with projection mapping, didn’t you?
D: Yes. I have an experience from a TV project. But as a show, collaborating with projection mapping in front of audience will be first for me.
—How can you see the actual (projection mapping) vision when you are in the visual effect?
D: When you have a full (projection mapping) vision on ice, it is too big to see what it is. It’s like you have a poster on a wall, right? And you come close to the wall as much as you can and if you see the poster from this distance, from under your nose, you won’t understand what is written.
—It sounds difficult to skate in that situation, doesn’t it?
D: As for movements, if you perform in an ordinary way, you just move along with music and can move freely, but when you collaborate with projection mapping, you have to skate to the planned route with planned speed and move accurately. In addition, this time the rink is one size smaller than usual rinks (approximately 23m×48m, usual rinks are 30m x 60m) and there are many non-skaters on ice as well. I’m afraid whether I can make it or not, but it’s been done before by Somegoro-san, who succeeded the collaboration shows in Las Vegas with Team Lab. Of course we need preparation but I will try my best!
As a performer Daisuke Takahashi
—Now you are successful as a performer, and compared with your eligible time, how are your self-evaluation standard and goals changed?
D: Well, if I tell you the truth, I have … no goals. (laugh)
When I was competing, goals came to me automatically in succession and I had no time to think about them by myself. Then I became 27 years old just as it was then retired. I really considered what I would do for the first time (in my life) and went to NY and saw things and tried to find what I would want to do but I couldn’t find anything at all. So I thought this was no good and tried to do whatever I could do. And now I just challenge things I can do right now to the best of my ability.
—You made a bold decision!
D: I won’t know whether things suit me or not unless I try them out and even though I think they don’t suit me, people around me might tell me they do so. Even now there are things (I’m doing now) which don’t suit me in my opinion. But I have been doing these only for one year, so I need to do two or three more years and then I can say something (about those things). I hope I can find and say that this is the only thing for me in five to ten year time. I will reduce the number of options and try to find a thing which I can say that this is the only thing (I will do for a life). To do so, I am trying to find what suits me and what doesn’t right now.
—How is it then while you are actually challenging things now?
D: I now know it is true that you get stomachache because of stress! (laugh)
—Wasn’t the pressure you had while you were eligible much harder than now? (laugh)
D: It seems pressure and stress are different. When my friends started working, I heard them say “it’s tough to be a working adult” and I thought “oh I see” but now I know I didn’t really understand that then. After working for one year, I gradually understand the atmosphere (of working) but am not fully capable of it yet. It’s just like that and now I’m entering my second year (of working carrier). I think I was really fortunate to have my fans’ cheering and supports as a freshman. I’d like to do my best even if I would say to myself that “it’s so hard to be a working adult!”(laugh)
—As for a sophomore (in working carrier), could you give a message to your fans regarding HYOEN, your first challenge to be this year?
D: “HYOEN2017-BASARA” is a world first ice show collaborating with Kabuki. It is a virtue rewarded and vice punished story and for those figure skating fans who are familiar with ice shows, I’m very sure that you can enjoy the show with fresh feelings. For those Kabuki fans, if they think that “figure skating is much fun in live” or “quite a show!”, I will be very happy. The project finally has started working, and even though I do have both expectations and worries, I will try my best to make the show something like you would think it is good to come to see or you would like to see it again!
Interviewer and original text by Fumika Tsukada
Photo by Jun Arakawa
