Three Sisters’ lunacy / Sal, Rachelle in concert

Off-hand, there appeared no similarity between Hiroshi Koike’s choreographic adaptation of Chekov’s “Three Sisters” and the play itself. The printed program informs us that “the seemingly sweet portrayal of three bored sisters grappling with womanhood spirals into a sensual and charged meditation on female identity, coming of age and the Japanese obsession with youth culture. This eccentric comic tragedy narrated through dynamic choreography is a powerfully condensed alternative to the company’s larger-scale but multi-disciplinary works.”

Viewed per se, that is, as a distinct creation, Koike’s “Three Sisters” had three very strong, energetic, vibrant, versatile dancers who engaged in widely diverse disciplines: street dancing, acrobatics, modern dance, mime and ballet, this including incredible fouettés, rapid tours and leaps in the air.

The movements, gestures, actions and antics delineated called to mind those of inmates in an insane asylum; thus, the presentation might be described as “disciplined lunacy” or “controlled insanity”. The description is not meant to offend the choreographer or to denigrate his work but to point out its striking originality, innovations, imagination and inventiveness that had instant universal appeal.

The swift, abrupt but unified movements of the three dancers on, with or around chairs, the similarly unified movements of two dancers against the contrapuntal movements of the third, the vigorous, jerky head and hand gestures, the jumping, running and tumbling on the floor, the upward thrusts of legs and hands underlying or governing all these was an artistic control and discipline that gave a certain logic to the unending motion onstage, the accompanying electronic sounds characterized by varying degrees of weirdness.

The three sisters made attempts to “seduce” the audience by stripping off their clothes and revealing black underwear of the most alluring design — doubtless in line with “the sensual and charged meditation on female identity and the coming of age”. Further, the dancers, their skirts raised, would bow flirtatiously with their buttocks facing the audience in the manner of Gaite Parisienne (Folies Bergere) Can Can dancers.

The tremendously energized one-hour performance had singing in some portions,  their printed English translation reflecting the pure nonsense mouthed by zany people, this in consonance with the aforementioned lunacy or insanity of the sisters.

Artistic director-choreographer Koike calls his foundation Pappa Tarahumara after the Tarahumara Indian of Mexico to whom he was introduced by the writings of Antonin Artaud. Koike explains that his aim is to  create “stage poetry” through his work that will afford equal importance to set design, dance music, video and architecture — leaving audience members to indulge in their imaginations. The “Three Sisters”  focused on electrifying action, movement, mime, leaving us to indulge in our own imagination and conclusions.

The brilliant dancers were Mao Atata (oldest), Sachiko Shirai (middle) and Rei Hashimoto (youngest and also the most eloquent).

Held at the RCBC Theater under the auspices of the Japan Foundation and the NCCA, the show celebrated RP-Japan Friendship to which Japanese Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki consistently gives meaning and substance.

Tenor Sal Malaki,  the only Filipino in the LA Opera Company under tenor-conductor Placido Domingo, will give a concert on Friday, 8 p.m. at the Meralco Theater. In 12 consecutive seasons with the LA Opera Co., Malaki has performed in virtually every opera. The tenor, who is also with the LA Master Chorale, has sung in such prestigious venues as NY’s Carnegie Hall and Merkin Concert Hall and LA’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Engagements are slated in Australia, NZ, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

Malaki will share the limelight with leading soprano Rachelle Gerodias, a most awarded singer who was highly praised as Susanna in the Singapore Lyric Opera production of “Marriage of Figaro.”

She will sing as Liu in Vienna’s Volksoper Turandot in 2008.