Sansei: The Storyteller

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“If the Japanese Internment of WWII didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be alive.”

On December 7, 1941, an attack on Pearl Harbour triggered events in Canada that may easily be described as among the darkest in our history – the internment and dispossession of tens of thousands of Japanese Canadians. Through an engaging blend of dance, spoken word and loads of humour, Kunji Ikeda weaves a tale that is illuminating and profoundly personal. Sansei: The Storyteller offers Ikeda’s observations about the internment, his own discovery of where he came from, and how Japanese Canadians found peace. A multi-award winning ‘masterpiece’ from a storyteller like no other. Audiences across the world have connected with the uplifting message of hope and perseverance.

Following the Friday, May 6 performance, stick around for a talk back with the performer and the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society.

Ikeda says more with the movement of his fingers than many actors do with reams of dialogue
-Louis B Hobson, Calgary Herald

A natural born storyteller – ★★★★
– Stephen Hunt, Calgary Herald

The performance on Thursday May 5 has ASL interpretation provided by Katt Campbell. ASL priority seating is available.

Credits:

Costume Design Joanne Ikeda
Photo by Benjamin Laird

About the artist:

Kunji Ikeda aims to redefine narratives of the body and show how physical communication can lead to physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Ikeda is the Artistic Director of Cloudsway Dance Theatre and has been recognized with multiple Betty Mitchell Award nominations for performance and choreography. Ikeda’s fearless political works have examined toxic masculinity, artistic political manipulation, and the Japanese Internment of WWII. In February 2020 Ikeda was invited into the rehearsal process of Akram Khan’s new work Creature with the English National Ballet. He was named an Artist in Residence at the Banff Centre 2019 and premiered a digital dance theatre adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment.