Japanese performing arts company enra (stylized in lowercase Latin letters.) combines video art with live performance, synchronizing human body motion with computer graphics. Established March 1, 2012, as of 2019 enra is a collective centered around six performers: Tsuyoshi Kaseda, Maki Yokoyama, Tachun, Kazunori Ishide, Takako Morimoto, and Aoi Nonaka.
Tradition and origin The Tokyo-based performing arts and production company seeks to create the ultimate union between motion graphics and live performance. The intent is to synchronize on-screen images with dance and other forms of live expression. Made up of eight individual performers, enra incorporates martial arts (especially wushu), rhythmic gymnastics, ballet, animation dance, juggling (especially with the diabolo), and club dance into its performances.
Performances by enra consist of a synchronized fusion of motion graphics (video art) and live performance (contemporary dance in a variety of genres) in front of a screen. The group regularly performs all over the world, and has received high praise not only in its native Japan, but also in Europe, North America, East and Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
In Japan, enra performed as a guest of the prime minister of Japan at the official welcoming dinner for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during its evaluation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics plan, an event that also served to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
FILMS, an homage to movies, was performed by enra to open the award ceremony at the 68th Festival de Cannes, where the group also walked the red carpet.
In March 2016, enra kicked off its 2016 Japan tour with a public performance at Kitazawa Town Hall in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo.
enra walked the red carpet a second time at the Lunas del Auditorio ceremony at the National Auditorium in Mexico City in October 2016, where they performed as a special guest.
Name origin According to the Mainichi Shimbun, "The group's name is derived from the smoke-like shape-shifting Japanese yōkai spirit, Enenra".
Performance history
2012 Japan: Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2012 Award Ceremony Japan: Kiryu Film Festival 2012 Opening Act Japan: Momoiro Clover Z X’mas Eve Live Japan: Information & Media 10th Anniversary, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts Japan: IOC Evaluation Commission Visit - Prime Minister's Tokyo 2020 Dinner
2013 Hong Kong: Citibank ULTIMA Card Presentation Indonesia: NET. Mediatama Indonesia Launch Event Romania: Summer Well Music Festival 2013, Bucharest Japan: Honda Fit & Fit Hybrid Unveiling Japan: Mori Art Museum 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner Japan: Sharp AQUOS XL10 Web Commercial China: Gust performance of Primitive at Hermès Forum
2014 Japan: Patek Philippe 175th Anniversary Event Japan: Bioderma Japan Anniversary Party Qatar: Japanese Projection solo performance in Doha France: CB 30th Anniversary - Le Petit Palais, Paris France: Performance at Opéra Comique, Paris Germany: Zeiss AG ZEISS Forum Spain: TV appearance on El Hormiguero Singapore: Samarpana 2014: The Asian Festival of Classical Dance Japan: At →PJ←WONDERLAND~ with →Pia-no-jaC← in Zepp Tokyo Czech Republic: Volkswagen Passat 8 Event Japan: Primitive performed in Tokyo China: Primitive performed in Hong Kong Singapore: Morgan Stanley Gala Dinner SK-II Web Commercial
2015 USA: 16th Contemporary Dance Showcase: Japan and East Asia USA: 31st Space Symposium China: Hewlett-Packard Event Turkey: Gala Modern at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art Switzerland: IWC Gala Dinner Costa Rica: TEDxPuraVida Bahrain: Corporate Event USA: Appearance on America’s Got Talent France: Oponening act for the 68th Festival de Cannes award ceremony Singapore: Primitive solo performance at Flipside 2015 Esplanade Switzerland: Red Cross Ball – Gala Dinner, Geneva Taiwan: Solo performance at Taiwan National Theater Romania: Orange 4U performance Japan: Lexus 10th Anniversary Event USA tour 2015 Birmingham, Alabama Memphis, Tennessee Durango, Colorado Detroit, Michigan Knoxville, Tennessee Portugal: Solo performance at Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon
2016 India: Opening act for a corporate event in Mumbai Japan: Google Brandcast Tokyo Italy: Opening act for a corporate event at Pala Alpitour UAE: YPO EDGE conference opening act in Dubai Australia: Guest performance at a corporate event Kuwait: Opening act for Porsche 911 launch event Japan: Performance with Nobuaki Kaneko of Rize in Tokyo Argentina: Coca-Cola rebranding event in Buenos Aires Singapore: Michelin Guide 2016 Award Ceremony & Gala Dinner Japan: Planet performance in Achimura, Nagano Portugal: Guest performance at European Inventor Award Ceremony in Lisbon Japan: Newton performance at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa Germany: Corporate event in Berlin United States: Future of StoryTelling summit in New York City Mexico: Lunas del Auditorio guest performance Japan: PROXIMA Tour 2016 Tokyo Toyama Sendai Sapporo Niigata Okayama Hyogo Kurume (Fukuoka) Nagano Osaka United States: PROXIMA North America Tour 2016 Newport News, VA Muncie, IN Skokie, IL (Chicago) Los Angeles, CA Taiwan: PROXIMA at the Taichung Arts Festival Mexico: PROXIMA North America Tour 2016: PROXIMA in Mexico City UAE: ADIPEC Awards Gala Dinner in Abu Dhabi Japan: Hublot All Black Night Event Japan: BiG-i Art Festival
2017 Japan: PARALLEL WORLD at Akasaka Blitz with →Pia-no-jaC← in Tokyo Japan: Performance at International Luxury Travel Market Japan: Performance at Audi Event Macau: Performance at Sands Macau UAE: Private event Kuwait: Kuwait K-IT Day Australia: Corporate event USA: Palm Springs Art Museum Gala: Embracing the Abstract USA: PROXIMA at Harris Center in Folsom, CA France: Pyramides d'Argent de la Fédération des Promoteurs, Marseille USA: Solo performance at Dollywood Japan: Show at Toin Gakuen Japan: Event in Miyazaki Mexico: PROXIMA at Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris, Mexico City Mexico: PROXIMA at Forum Cultural Guanajuato, León, Guanajuato Japan: Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCEFORUM Thailand: J Series Festival
2018 South Korea: 4IR Performing Arts Conference Spain: Corporate event in Castellón China: China International Youth Arts Festival UAE: Performances at ADIPEC, Abu Dhabi China: VOYAGER in Shanghai Thailand: Japan Expo Japan: Dealer event for Honda Canada Japan: GHOST premiere in Sapporo Japan: pleiades in Achi Mura
2019 UAE: Performance at WFES, Abu Dhabi Egypt: Performance at EGYPS, Cairo Singapore: Corporate event Japan, Taiwan, India: Sands Macao Roadshow Event Switzerland: Performances at Numerik Games Festival Russia: Corporate event in Ekaterinburg Hong Kong: JNA Awards 2019 Ceremony and Gala Dinner Oman: Marriott International Event Japan: Winter Night Tour in Achi Mura
References
Further reading Nikkei Business Online (September 9, 2014) "東京五輪招致を決定づけたパフォーマーたち IOC評価委員会を熱狂させた最後の晩餐" https://web.archive.org/web/20160402011029/http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/topics/20130908/253131/ (Japanese) artsBHAM (October 19, 2015) "Dance Review - enra" https://web.archive.org/web/20160424094626/http://www.artsbham.com/dance-review-enra/ The Detroit News (October 21, 2015) "Japanese troupe, Enra, ties choreography to animation" http://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/2015/10/21/japanese-troupe-enra-ties-choreography-animation/74321692/ Mainichi Shimbun Digital (April 11, 2016) "国内初ツアー 言葉や文化の壁超えるストーリー" http://mainichi.jp/articles/20160411/mog/00m/040/012000c (Japanese) Culture Source, "enra fuses technology and dance in mesmerizing performance at The Berman", by Hillary Brody (October 21, 2015) https://web.archive.org/web/20160807032701/https://www.culturesource.org/201510212194/stories/enra-fuses-technology-and-dance-in-mesmerizing-performance-at-the-berman/ The Huffington Post (January 2, 2014) "Japanese troupe enra combines dance and light in mesmerizing video" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/02/enra-pleiades_n_4532918.html Marketing Interactive (December 17, 2014) "WATCH SKII’s visually stunning campaign together with ENRA" http://www.marketing-interactive.com/skii-ropes-japanese-dance-troupe-festive-season-campaign/ Jiji.com (November 15, 2016) "ついに日本で！！パフォーミングアーツカンパニー enra（エンラ）世界を魅了したパフォーマンスに大注目！" http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=000000363.000012949&g=prt (Japanese) Rafu Shimpo (October 20, 2016) "READY TO POP: Japan’s Enra brings its one-of-a-kind live dance and digital performance artistry to Hollywood this weekend" http://www.rafu.com/2016/10/ready-to-pop/ Broadway World (October 21, 2016) "The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre Presents PROXIMA" http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwdance/article/The-Ricardo-Montalbn-Theatre-Presents-PROXIMA-20161021 Arca (October 2016) "ENRA, EL ESPECTÁCULO JAPONÉS MÁS SORPRENDENTE LLEGA A MÉXICO" https://web.archive.org/web/20161220073738/http://arca.tv/enra-el-espectaculo-japones-mas-sorprendente-llega-a-mexico/ (Spanish)
External links enra Official Homepage