KNOW NATION Presents: Natsue
A mesmerizing tribute to Japanese traditional dance, Natsue is a rare and deeply emotional work, performed by Daniel Proietto and choreographed by one of the greatest living exponents of Kabuki theater, Kanjuro Fujima VIII.
Following years of rigorous training with the prestigious Soke Fujima Ryu, Proietto was honored with this custom-created piece, signed by Kanjuro Fujima VIII in 2016.
Commissioned as the second act of Simulacrum, a duet by Norwegian choreographer Alan Lucien Øyen for Proietto and Japanese flamenco legend Shoji Kojima, Natsue tells a tragic and poetic tale of love, loss, and transformation.
A Story of Love, Loss, and Spiritual Transformation
Natsue follows the heart-wrenching journey of a mother, separated from her son at birth. In the climax, she succumbs to fate, dissolving into the waves of the ocean—the very waves her son, Shoji, would later gaze upon in his lonely childhood on the shores of Mugi, Japan.
The power of Natsue extends beyond the stage—it became a ritual of movement and nature when Proietto performed it under a torrential storm in Kobe, allowing the elements to become part of the story. His soaked kimono, the relentless rain, and the weight of the narrative merged, turning the performance into an unforgettable act of artistic surrender.
Set to an original composition by Kanjuro Fujima VIII, the film carries an extraordinary linguistic journey. The lyrics, initially written in English by Alan Lucien Øyen and Andrew Wale, were later translated into Japanese, and finally into Old Japanese, preserving the authenticity and depth of this haunting narrative.
🎥 Filmed by Junpei Iwamoto, Natsue captures the essence of tradition, loss, and spiritual metamorphosis in a way that is both intimate and transcendent.
CREATIVE TEAM
- Performance: Daniel Proietto
- Choreography & Music: Kanjuro Fujima VIII
- Film: Junpei Iwamoto
- Assistant Directors: Aya Fujima & Akane Fujima
- Lyrics: Alan Lucien Øyen & Andrew Wale (from Simulacrum, based on the life of Shoji Kojima)
- Commissioned & Produced for: Rokko Meets Art – 2023 Beyond by Mirai Moriyama / ARK Artists in Residence Kobe
- Programmed by: Kiyotaka Takamizawa
- Originally produced by: Winter Guests with the support of Arts Council Norway
🎥 Available exclusively on KNOW NATION