"Beauty and Strength"

Published 2001 by NHK Software 110 min. Video/DVD
10,780yen

DVD “Beauty and Strength” is coded as Region 2. Please make it sure that your player will be able to play it.

In the 60's and into the 70's, Kazuo Ohno himself produced three 16mm films. His many performances at the "Teatro Fonte" in Yokohama have been preserved with high quality Beta cameras. In addition, the television station NHK has made recordings of many of his theater performances since the premiere of "The Dead Sea" in 1985. Together, the Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio and NHK own over one hundred hours of footage. This is complemented by a 1994 film by Daniel Schmid and new 16mm footage of Kazuo Ohno filmed especially for this project in October of 2000. From these resources, this 110 minute Video/DVD was assembled.

"Beauty and Strength" includes dance performances, film excerpts and interviews, examples of Ohno's drawings and writings, as well as biographical information, creating a comprehensive look into the world of Kazuo Ohno's dance. This collection allows us to discover many things we can not see on stage - original footage of old performances and behind-the-scene looks into Ohno's workshops and rehearsals.

It was not our intention to make merely a showcase of the climaxes of Kazuo Ohno's performances. "Beauty and Strength" is more than just entertainment. It is also the means to preserve these precious materials and to make them available to the next generation.