MARI OSANAI
BIO
Mari Osanai was born and raised in Aomori, Japan. She received early training in Classical Ballet and Modern Dance. She later expanded her studies to include Noguchi Taiso (野口体操), Tai Chi, Jazz Dance, and the traditional folk dance of Aomori, Tsugaru Teodori (津軽手踊り). The philosophy and training of Noguchi Taiso have particularly influenced her work. Her dance mentor, Mr. Hironobu Oikawa, also greatly shaped her understanding of movement. Mari Osanai’s unique and complex movements result from an intricate blend of these diverse techniques.
INTENSIVE WORKSHOP
My workshop is open to everyone and particularly beneficial for performers, especially dancers since I come from a dance background. The foundation of my practice is rooted in Noguchi Taiso, where the primary focus is finding and understanding our body’s weight. We begin by relaxing the body, allowing us to connect more deeply with our movements.
I define ‘Gymnastics’ as a way of exploring Humanity. My whole being is a laboratory (atelier), research material (canvas), and scholar (artist).
—Michizo Noguchi.
Noguchi Taiso concepts:
- Neutralizing your body before creating.
- The characteristic of living things is their softness.
- Softness is the richness of the possibility of change.
- Relax your strength and use gravity as your ally to move fluidly.
- Sensing subtle differences within the body.
- The human being’s body is mainly (about 70%) composed of body liquid. It’s not solid.
- The human being is a living water bag.
- All movement dynamics are fluid dynamics.
- One future of liquid movement is extremely complex movements both temporally (time and space).
- Wave circle swirls complicated and subtle movements.
Description
Noguchi Taiso was founded by Michizo Noguchi (野口 三千三, 1914–1998), who was an honorary professor at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He developed exercises designed to help individuals discover and explore the infinite possibilities of movement by using the body as a guide. Before creating, it is essential to neutralize the body. The hallmark of living beings is their softness, representing potential change’s richness. By relaxing tension and embracing gravity as an ally, you can move with fluidity and grace, sensing subtle differences within your body. The human body is composed primarily of liquid (about 70%), making us more fluid than solid. We are living water bags, and all movement dynamics are fluid. The potential of liquid movement lies in its complexity, creating intricate, wave-like motions that are both temporally and spatially intricate.
Mari Osanai is a renowned Noguchi Taiso (gymnastic) teacher and a contemporary dancer. It is a rare chance to learn with her. Please don’t miss it.
“Noguchi Taiso“ was founded in Japan by Michizo Noguchi (野⼝三千三). It is a form of Japanese body training. This workshop will help you find new ways to improve your movement efficiency and release unnecessary tensions. Taiso is the Japanese word for gymnastics, but Noguchi Taiso is unlike the gymnastics we are accustomed to seeing. Mari explains “It’s not about strength or resistance, or forcing the body to move in a certain way. Instead, it allows the body to melt. It’s tender, flexible, and lets us give into gravity rather than fight it. It allows us to find a more natural way to move”. Around 70% of human bodies are composed of water, leading to this system of movement which could also be called hydrodynamics. “Weight is thought and thought is image”. –Michizo Noguchi. “The materials that constitute our body are undoubtedly of this Earth and have participated in and experienced the creation process of the Earth. Therefore our body, living here and now, includes the entire history of the Earth. What is called “live”, “body” and “mind” indicates the phases of change and flow of the Earth. There is no absolute standard for all things. Every standard comes into being within ourselves, freshly, here and now, through relationships. Becoming aware of these relationships allows you to truly become one with original nature itself. You develop a clearer understanding of how your mind/body operates and a greater appreciation of the involvement of your thought process in all your physical acts.”
–Michizo Noguchi, founder of Noguchi Taiso.