Saturday, March 8th at 21.00, Menza pri koritu

Director, dancer: Ryuzo Fukuhara (Japan / Slovenia)
Dancers: Martina Štirn (Slovenia), Maja Pučl (Slovenia)
Choreography: Alchemic Sisters
Costume design: Martina Štirn
Musical director: George Cremaschi
Musicians: Liz Allbee (trumpet, electronics), George Cremaschi (contrabass, electronics)

Despite fifty years of modern feminism, the image of the rough, tough, ‘hard’ man is as strong as ever. In observing popular culture, it is often difficult to tell the difference between 1968 and 2008 - indeed, if anything, the current vision of manliness is bigger and stronger than ever. Men who don't aspire to classic models of virility are called geeks, wussies, nerds, pussies and fags. The message being if you're not tough, you're not a ‘real’ man. No wonder men are insecure and anxious. In this performance, Ryuzo Fukuhara, Martina Štirn and Maja Pučl propose that men can give up chasing an illusion, in order to find a more balanced and relaxed perspective.

Entrance fee, together with Reni Hofmüller and Stav Balla: 4 €

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Ryuzo Fukuhara's interest in dance was confirmed after attending a Butoh dance workshop led by Semi-maru from the group, Sankaijuku, in 1987. In 1991 Fukuhara joined the Butoh group Maijuku directed by one of the leading figures in Butoh, Min Tanaka. Fukuhara established his own Paris-based company, Alchemic Sis, in 1996. He was nominated to the semi-final, and presentation of IN THAT CASE, at the Japan Platform of Rencontres Choregrapheques Internationale de Seine-Saint-Denis, France,1998.

From 2000 onwards, Fukuhara switched focus to Europe. He has performed and held workshops in many countries, including the UK, Italy, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Germany, Austria, Russia, USA and Vietnam; and more recently Spain. In 2005, Fukuhara was nominated to Biennale Nationale de Danse du Val-de-Marne in France. In 2006, he was awarded the 2nd prize of solo-dance contest at the International Contemporary Dance Festival in Canary Islands, Spain.

Website:http://www.geocities.jp/ryuzodance/

George Cremaschi was born in New York City, studied jazz and contrabass at Jazzmobile in Harlem, and composition at Greenwich House Music School in Manhattan. He has worked with a long list of great musicians. Just in recent years, he has performed and collaborated throughout the US and Europe with such musicians as Evan Parker, Andrea Parkins, Gert-Jan Prins, Mats Gustafsson, Miya Masaoka, Nels Cline, Saadet Türköz, Nicolas Collins, Le Quan Ninh, Butch Morris, and Rova Saxophone Quartet.

Ongoing projects include working with pianist Greg Goodman in a variety of settings as well as curating releases on Goodman's label, The Beak Doctor; a collaboration with Japanese Butoh dancer Ryuzo Fukuhara; a quartet with Jon Raskin (of Rova), trumpeter Liz Allbee and percussionist Gino Robair; and KRK, a duo with New York computer musician Matthew Ostrowski.

His work appears on over 25 recordings on the Apestaartje, Evolving Ear, Black Saint, Leo, Beak Doctor, Emanem, Rastascan, Music & Arts, Nine Winds and 482 Music labels. As a composer, he has written nearly 100 pieces for chamber groups, small ensembles, solo contrabass, electronics, film, spoken word, dance and theater.

He currently lives in Tábor, Czech Republic, where he is an artist in residence, curator and administrator at CESTA, an international arts residency center.

Website: http://www.bayimproviser.com/artistdetail.asp?artist_id=33

Liz Allbee is a voracious musician whose work spans many genres, encompassing new music, improvisation, electronic composition, Asian folk and pop, noise, minimalist, free jazz and experimental rock. She has played with a wide array of musicians, including Anthony Braxton, Leo Smith, Cecil Taylor, Rova, Hans Grusel, Birgit Uhler, Gino Robair, Yugen Japanese Noh Theater, SFSound, and with members of Caroliner and the Sun City Girls. She lives in Oakland, CA.

Website: http://www.lizallbee.net/
Interview with Liz: http://www.lovemuzzle.org/interview/interview_allbee.html

Martina Štirn is a painter, dancer and costume designer who studied psychology, painting (Academy of Fine Arts, Ljubljana) and was a guest student in the Conceptual Media Studio in The Academy of Fine Art in Prague (2004-2006). She has exhibited her works in solo (Gallery Srečišče and Gallery Bežigrad 2, Ljubljana; Gallery Zapor, Koper; Gallery Stara šola, Komen) and group exhibitions (The Platform LabSUs zavoda SCCA – Ljubljana, Gallery Škuc, Ljubljana; Pittoraž, Gallery Equrna, Ljubljana) in Slovenia, Austria and Czech Republic. Her dance collaborations with Ryuzo Fukuhara include performance Perhaps at festival Break 2.4 (Ljubljana), Sacred Marriage at festival Ana Desetnica and as part of project Platform Labsus in Gallery Škuc, Ljubljana. She has also danced in group dance performances Intimate parallels and 4 elements, both performed in 2007 in Ljubljana.

Website: http://www.geocities.jp/martina_stirn/