three is a mixed media performance to wonder through and experience, an installation that alters and progresses, a living organism, designed and re-designed by the performers as well as the audience. the concept opens up the traditional settings of a performance piece and creates a story telling with various spacial and visual entities (picture 1/4). the frame resembles a picture book, performer and spectators share the same space and travel along given points in time.

the space holds a ground plan laid out with bright fluorescence tape, projection layers with semi transparent mesh, cameras and video projectors. the story lines of the performers are laid out with the ground plan (picture 2/4). the tape serves as a path for the performers and indicates the passing and alteration of time. for the artist who enters or exits a room pattern, the space holds memory and resembles a certain point in life. once the first performer enters, a spot in the exact shape and location of a pre-defined room pattern lights up (picture 3/4). the first dance sequence is recorded with a miniature camera and projected in real time via transmitter or cable on mesh (picture 4/4). several miniature cameras and projectors are set and fixed in defined spaces prior to the performance. each camera covers a specific solo or duet sequence in a fix frame. the performers determine with their movement and approach to the camera the visual segments on display. at the end of the solo, the spot light fades out and one projector displays the recorded video footage as a loop. the process repeats with another dancer who picks another spot for her/his first solo. simultaneously, another projection displays the new video sequence. with time the artists eventually share a room pattern, move together or stand still. both follow their own thread in life and create connecting points based on their individual story. no clear or pre-determined choreographic pattern is visible to the audience. the video footage is understood as an additional carrier, putting different aspects and moments in life on the same time horizon with the live performance.

the soundscape is based on pre-edited fieldrecording sessions and mixed live with ambience sound, generated by performers as well as the audience. three took place november 8 and 9, 2006 at bankart theatre yokohama, japan. for photo related work on three click here.

concept, set design, visuals laurent ziegler
production sengiku bando
dancers sengiku bando, ryohei kondo, kaori natori
sound takahiro kawaguchi
support arnold obermaier, ayako takeda, clemens kirsch, daiskue nakayama, mizohata toshio, rune miyamoto, satomi itai, watanabe yoh