【Click Nippon News】To Dance with More Freedom

文字サイズ+拡大 ±標準

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Click Nippon News January 19, 2017

【1】To Dance with More Freedom

もっと自由に踊りたい

【2】Suggested class activities

学習活動のヒント

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【1】To Dance with More Freedom

Omae Koichi appears on stage as a professional dancer. With his performance presented at the closing of the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, his art was seen around the world. Fourteen years before that, as a budding dancer about to audition for the dance company of his dreams, Omae was struck by a drunken driver and lost his left leg from mid-calf down. Despite the accident, he did not give up on his dream of dancing, and after much struggle has developed his own distinctive style of dance, continuing his pursuit of freedom through dance. He talked to us about the difficulties he faced and his ideas about what dance can do.

https://www.tjf.or.jp/clicknippon/en/mywayyourway/10/post-26.php

■ Essence of this article

・ If there is something you really want to do, the important thing is not to give up, but keep pressing on toward your goal.

・ In order to achieve your goal, you may need to find a new method or strategy.

・ Sometimes if you put aside all your assumptions about how things ought to be, you find that a new path opens up before you.

・ What we think is beautiful is something that changes. What you have to do first is to learn to recognize what is beautiful in yourself.

【2】Suggested class activities

1. Questions to help students' comprehension:

a) What happened to Omae fourteen years ago?

b) Kanamori told Omae, "You cannot become a Noism dancer." In the end, how did this help Omae?

c) How did Sato Noriko influence the direction of Omae's dancing?

d) Explain how Omae's goal has changed along the way.

e) What made him decide to seek a career on the stage? What did 'the stage' bring into his life?

f) Did the relationship between Omae and his father change after the accident? How did Omae's understanding of his father change?

2. Discussion points:

g) What qualities did Omae have that led to his success? Give some examples?

h) There was a time when Omae didn't get the same salary as other dancers even though he danced like other dancers. Why do you think he was treated like that?

i) Even though Omae suffered from great difficulties, he says that he is enjoying life immensely now. Why do you think he can say so?

j) How do you think the presence of a dancer like Omae influences the world? [What kind of impact does a dancer like Omae have on the world?]

k) What do you think 'a rich and hospitable society' means?

3. Creative activities:

l) Imagine that Omae talked to Sato Noriko after his performance at the Paralympics. What do you think their conversation would be like? Try writing out the dialogue.

Omae's performance at the Paralympics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgTSMezIrG4

m) Look at other examples of people who show great resilience in the face of adversity.

Ikeda Mikio　https://www.tjf.or.jp/clicknippon/en/mywayyourway/05/post-12.php

Akiyama Rina　https://www.tjf.or.jp/clicknippon/en/mywayyourway/05/post-11.php

Read the articles and find the key words to depict their ideas and way of life. What messages do they have for us?

Related website Resilience Sites2See NSW

http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/13585/

【1】もっと自由に踊りたい

プロダンサーとして舞台に立つ大前光市さん。2016年リオパラリンピックの閉会式で踊り、大前さんのパフォーマンスが世界に発信された。

14年前、大前さんは憧れのダンスカンパニーのオーディションを目前にして、飲酒運転の車にひかれ、左足を切断。それからも、踊ることをあきらめず、片足であることを生かしたダンスを見つけ、ダンスを通して自由を追求する。

今に至るまでの苦しい道のり、ダンスに対する思い、そして今後の夢を語る。