SALARYMAN

“SALARYMAN is a masterpiece, one that I want my dance friends to see, and one that I’d like to see again and again.” – WetPaintJournal.com

Photo Slideshow

Concept, Direction & Choreography: Takehiro Ueyama
Co-creator, Visual & Sound: Yuko Takebe
Assistant Choreographer: Jill Echo
Music: Joy Askew, Aun, Eve Beglarian, Michael Gordon, Sayuri Ishikawa, Boban Marković Orkestar, Ana Milosavljevic, Eliji Miyoshi, RC Succession the sound of Tokyo subway and Metronome
Lighting: Jason Jeunnette
Set Design: Yukinobu Okazaki
Costumes: Taylor Forrest
Premiere: May 18, 2011 at Dance Theater Workshop, New York, NY
The Underwater Film
Director: Yuko Takebe
Video: Tomoyuki Morioka
Lighting: Atsushi Takaoka

SALARYMAN is a full-evening work depicting the life of the Japanese businessman. The piece is a reflection of the working man’s everyday “drama” – the stress of the universal daily grind of work -being a cog in the company machine – essential to the success of the business world and economy, but not feeling respected or rewarded; lacking any sense of individuality or autonomy. This piece blends reality and fantasy, juxtaposing the frenetic, high-octane will to succeed with the daydreams of a sweeter past, where remembrances, hopes, desires and fantasies are brought to life. SALARYMAN honors those people that relinquished their personal dreams, yet continued to find happiness and pride in their lives; through their dedication, they played a crucial role in Japan’s post World War 2 success.The creation of this piece coincided with the deadly tsunami in Japan. As the Japanese struggle to survive, their innate loyalty, tenacity and resilience are indicative of not just the Japanese community as a whole, but also of their corporate culture. Embracing joy, sadness, comedy and beauty, this piece is a dedication to the Japanese Salaryman.