Our Planet

Text：Chihiro Taniguchi

When we first divided the teams, there were only five of us. I thought there would be more, but the fact that we were a small team had an effect on us. The tempo of the discussions was light and the speed at which ideas emerged and developed was very fast, and I could feel the unity of the team from the very beginning.

What kind of creatures live in the ocean? What came out of the question was, “Fish! Octopus! Crabs! Sharks! Shellfish! Sharks! Jellyfish!” and more. The children’s brains seemed to be filled with the world of the sea. When I suggested that we make a dance based on the images of the sea, M came up with various ideas. E was inspired by M to come up with more ideas, KA listened and participated intently, S was embarrassed to dance but was eager to try, and KI was in charge of the event. With the common goal of imagining what it would be like to be under the sea and creating their own dances, each of them came together with a slightly different attitude. I felt that the place was maintained with a perfect sense of balance, and the sense of the team was getting stronger.

Most of the dances were decided by actually doing the movements from the image of the ocean that the children had created in their heads. “How about hiding at first and coming out when you hear the music?” “How about a team of two here?” “How about colliding and falling?” The children came up with specific ideas for the performance. The adults assisted with the more complicated parts, such as which part to incorporate the choreography.
As we practiced with the music playing, the eyes of the creators and the actors’ team gathered. Seeing the dancers dancing so happily made some people’s bodies itch, while others were curious but embarrassed and conflicted. Around the third practice, some of the members from the creators and the actors team wanted to join the dancers, and the dancers’ predecessors lectured them on the dances they had completed with great enthusiasm. It seemed that the children were fulfilling each other’s needs.

In the end, the circle of dancers expanded to 10 people and completed the dance as a big team. The freestyle dance in the second half was a highlight of the day, showing the beauty of individuality and expression, and the strength and beauty of the children as they naturally output their overflowing emotions through their bodies.