“The work of the Japanese soloist is part hip-hop, part Butoh, which means that his expert, staccato undulations build very slowly. The integration of multimedia—flashes of light, cracklings of electronic noise, blackouts, silence, all precisely timed—is highly sophisticated. In one dance, Umeda inhabits a computerized environment, its bright-lined geometry reminiscent of “Tron.” His very movements are full of special effects, live manipulations that suggest a DVD image skipping.” — The New Yorker

“Engaging… Like a tin man with oil flowing freely through his veins…” — Gia Kourlas, The New York Times

SPECIAL OFFER: Get $15 tickets (nearly 50% off) by mentioning code “CAPA” when you call 212.715.1258 and order on or before 5/13. (Discount not available on web.)

Japan Society concludes its electrifying 2008-09 Performing Arts Season with choreographer/dancer/designer Hiroaki Umeda in a performance that marks the final installment to the current season theme Beyond Boundaries: Genre-Bending Mavericks. Umeda’s visionary style as the ultimate solo performer laces visual effects of light, video and design into his choreography and live performance. Hiroaki Umeda will perform an evening featuring two of his distinct works, Adapting for Distortion (NY premiere) and Accumulated Layout (U.S. Premiere). Performances are Thursday, May 14 / Friday, May 15 / Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 PM at Japan Society (333 East 47th Street).

Multidisciplinary solo artist Hiroaki Umeda commands all the elements of his extraordinary spectacle: choreography, dance, lights, computerized sound and video images. Minimal and radical, subtle and violent, Umeda’s butoh/hip hop inspired choreography appears within an environment of sparse, dramatic lighting, flashing cyber imagery, electronic beats and crackling digital soundscapes.

Based in Tokyo, Umeda studied photography and began dancing at the age of 20, delving into his own unparalleled original movement and refining a powerful sensuality in his work. Umeda founded his company S20 in 2000 and has since created numerous works that have been presented at dance festivals and theaters throughout Europe, Asia, and South America.

This presentation marks the U.S. premiere of Adapting for Distortion, which was co-commissioned and world premiered by Festival Romaeuropa and Festival d’Automne in Paris in December 2008. Umeda first performed Accumulated Layout in 2007 at Théâtre National de Chaillot, Paris.

Hiroaki Umeda performs Thursday, May 14 / Friday, May 15 / Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 PM. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First & Second Avenues. Tickets are $28 (general public) and $25 (Japan Society members). Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office (212) 715-1258 or in person at Japan Society (M–F / 10 AM–4:45 PM).

For more info call (212) 832 -1155 or visit www.japansociety.org.