Kaiji Moriyama
© Sadato Ishizuka
Kaiji Moriyama
Dancer, choreographer, director. Began dance at the age of 21. After winning acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival as “one of the most talented dancers” in 2001, Moriyama began choreographing, directing and performing in his own works. He became known for a unique dance style and works that combined his tranquil appearance with movement that is smooth but cuts the air with straight, linear moves, typified by his solo dance work KATANA , which when performed in New York in 2005 prompted a New York Times review that called him “a dance of amazing concentration by an amazing dancer.” In 2007, Moriyama was invited to perform at the Venice Biennale of Dance. His 2012 work Mandara no Uchu (The Universe of Mandala) won three awards, including the New Artist Award of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Arts Awards. In 2013, Moriyama served as the main performer in the Opening Ceremonies for the National Athletic Meet in Tokyo, and as a Cultural Ambassador of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Moriyama also specializes in colorful works that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike, including the collaborative work with Hibino Kodue and Kohske Kawase titled LIVE BONE that toured to 25 cities in Japan and abroad. And, following his choreography for the Sekai Tearai Dance (Grobal Hand-washing Dance, Japan UNICEF Association) in 2009, Moriyama participated in the activities to spread consciousness of the importance of hand washing for infants and toddlers. In 2017, he choreographed the piece The Eternal Symphony 2nd mov . for the SLOW MOVEMENT initiative for amateur performers with disabilities. In addition to these, Moriyama’s broad-ranging cross-genre activities include collaborations with Noh artists, co-performances with Berlin Phil. × AI with piano, a film project involving visits and residencies at social welfare facilities, appearances in movies and advertisements, collaborations with fashion and photography projects and more.
https://www.kaijimoriyama.com/