Ko-bu
An intimate solo that creates a sensory landscape in which to contemplate grief and loss through a series of articulated pauses and sustained images.
The choreography is developed through Kimitch’s research of the last compositions written by western composers in the classical music canon, such as Charles Ives, Richard Strauss, and Gustav Mahler, whose music serve as poetic guides. The choreography emerges from years of assembling religious images, in particular those of flying apsaras and Boddhisatvas featured in the historic Buddhist Dunhuang cave murals of northern China.
Directed and Choreographed by Benjamin Akio Kimitch
Performed by and Created with Julie McMillan
Clothes by TOME
Original Lighting Design by Kathy Kaufmann
Make up by Michael Chua
Music by Charles Ives. Orchestral Set No. 3
Premiere: February 23-25, 2017
Danspace Project, New York City
October 1, 2017
The Noguchi Museum, New York City
Awards & Press
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Nomination for Outstanding Performer , Julie McMillan, 2017 “Bessie” New York Dance and Performance Award
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The creation of Ko-bu was made possible, in part, by the Danspace Project 2016-2017 Commissioning Initiative, with support from The Jerome Foundation, as well as a Danspace Project Production Residency supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Initial research for this work began as part of the Dance and Process series in 2015 at The Kitchen.
Photos by Monika Kratochvil