Yasushi Takashima | Hot Summer in Kyoto 2026 Dance Performance "Jérôme Bel" (Part 2)
artscape
Yasushi Takashima reviews Takao Kawaguchi's performance of "Jérôme Bel" at Kyoto Art Center, examining meta-dance and the impossibility of documentary theater.Summary
This article is the second part of a review of the dance performance "Jérôme Bel," staged on August 5, 2026, at the Kyoto Art Center Auditorium. Choreographer Jérôme Bel never appears on stage; instead, Takao Kawaguchi reads Bel's text and operates video playback, exposing the choreographic dynamics of remotely controlling another's body. The work layers meta-dance, lecture performance, and autobiographical documentary, while questioning the viability of documentary theater and the relationship between video archives and the liveness of performing arts. The credits list all past performers from excerpted works, asking who counts as a "performer" and expressing respect and sincerity.
(Source：artscape)