JCDN Membership Dance File vol.6

JCDN Membership Dance File vol.6　in English/Japanese completed！

Preface to JCDN Membership Dance File

In 1998, when the JCDN foundation project was started in Kyoto, one of the first preparatory steps was to make a thorough tour of Japan so as to become acquainted with the dance situation accross the nation. Through discussions with dance artists and dance-concerned organizers and producers across the country, it became clear that one of the factors halting the growth of contemporary dance in Japan was the inaccessibility of the following information:

● The dance artists currently active, their bases of activity and the types of performances and workshops
　 they are active in;
● The location of dance-related venues and theaters, and the types of dance projects and dance artists
　 active in these spaces; and
● The variety of dance producers and critics active throughout Japan.>

This information did not exist in any concrete form, and it was only through personal connections that people could become aware of each other’s activities. Any time dance artists considered performing anywhere outside their local area, there was no way of knowing how to find useful contacts. In much the same way, organizers and producers interested in organizing contemporary dance performances and workshops had little information about artists’ genres, activities and locations, making project-planning conditions rather unfavorable.

It became very clear at that time that the creation of a contemporary dance information system accessible to all would be one of the most important tasks for JCDN. The JCDN Membership Dance File is at the base of this information system.

The first volume was published in 2001 and since 2002 grants from the Art Organization Human Resources Development Program of the Agency for Cultural Affairs have made it possible to publish versions in both Japanese and English. As of the third volume, it was decided that a DVD version and an expanded booklet version would be published on alternate years. This, volume 6, marks the sixth year of publication and the publication has progressed thanks to collective efforts of dance culture in Japan, which has been gaining increased international attention in recent years.

The aim of the information gathered in this volume is to provide information on dance-concerned individuals and groups throughout Japan who support JCDN as Active Members （including dance artists, performance venues, local government offices, cultural foundations, producers and critics）. This file enables direct contact with JCDN’s Active Members, who support our stated mission to build a favorable environment for dance within Japanese society.

It is sincerely hoped that this volume will aid in spreading information internationally regarding contemporary dance in Japan and that all users will find the JCDN Membership Dance File of benefit.

January, 2007
Japan Contemporary Dance Network （JCDN）, a nonprofit organization

■English Vertion:
□Publisher: Norikazu Sato
□Translators: Naoko Monden, Tomoko Yamamoto, Steve Ross,
　　　　　　　　　Toshiko Mukai, James Chappell, Blake Crawford
□Editors: Yukari Hasegawa, Ayaka Hasegawa,Yumeko Sakurai
□Cover Design: Junko Yamasaki
□Design: Junko Yamasaki, Yuko Jinno
□Thanks to Seth Yarden （translator of vol.5）
□Printed by Sikon Art Co., Ltd.
□Published in February 2007.>

Cover Photo／Ho Ho-Do "SHleep"（Parts of 〔the Ground-breaking2006〕produced by ST spot Yokohama） photo:Kazuyuki Matsumoto