Hiroaki Umeda will perform a pair of mind-blowing solo pieces March 7-9 at New York Live Arts
New York Live Arts, Bessie Schönberg Theater
219 West 19th St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
March 7-9, $20, 7:30
212-691-6500
www.newyorklivearts.org
www.hiroakiumeda.com
The last time Tokyo-based multimedia movement artist Hiroaki Umeda performed in New York, in May 2009 at Japan Society, we used such superlatives as “dazzling” and “eye-popping” in describing his solo pieces Adapting for Distortion and Accumulated Layout, concluding by calling him “a rising star in the global modern dance community. . . . making only his third appearance in the United States with this show at Japan Society; one can only hope there will be many more.” It’s nearly four years later, but Umeda is back in the city this week, performing Haptic and Holistic Strata March 7-9 at New York Live Arts. In the former, Umeda moves on a lighted rectangular floor with a rectangular backdrop that continually change color as he moves for extended periods of time in one place to electronic noise. In the latter, Umeda is enveloped by black-and-white projections as computerized sounds interact with his movement. As always, Umeda explores visual perception using cutting-edge technology in ways that can blow your mind. The March 7 show will be preceded by the Come Early Conversation “The Visual Atmosphere in Dance” with Hélène Lesterlin, while the March 8 performance will be followed by the Stay Late Discussion “The Process of Creating Haptic and Holistic Strata” with NYLA artistic director Carla Peterson.