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ANTAGATA DOKO SA (“Where are you from”)

This dance film is a collaboration between Kae Sakurai (Director, Percussive Dancer, Choreographer), Monika Smekot (Co-Director, Camera, Edit) and Riko Matsuoka (Musician, Composer)

This film was inspired by the experience of Japanese people living in Scotland.

ANTAGATA DOKO SA is a Japanese traditional children’s play song from Edo period in Japan, and it means “Where are you from”.

Japanese composer, Riko Matusoka created a new piece of music ‘ANTAGATA DOKO SA Variations’ based on the children’s play song. She made the theme and the following 6 variations* by using Japanese musical scales from the north and south of the Japanese islands along with Scottish musical formats. 

Riko composed the tune while she was studying for her Masters Scottish Traditional Music Course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The tune was her her winning piece at the Scottish Harp competition, the Princess Margaret of the Isles Memorial Prize for Senior Clarsach in 2018.

Traditional Japanese imagery and music is filtered through a Scottish dance and music landscape. A children’s song becomes the source of dance and music variations, remembering the past and imagining the future. ‘Where are you from’ looks both back and forward, links young and old, East and West.

* Details of ‘ANTAGATA DOKO SA Variations’:

It consists of a theme and 6 variations:

◆Theme
◆ Variation Ⅰ ：Scottish piping-style decorations
◆ Variation Ⅱ：Ryukyuan / Okinawan style music
◆ Variation Ⅲ：Scottish Jig
◆ Variation Ⅳ：Scottish Strathspey
◆ Variation Ⅴ：Ainu Music inspired by the sound of Tonkori, which is a 5 stringed traditional instrument played by the Ainu people in Japan.
◆ Variation Ⅵ：Scottish Reel

More information
https://rikomatsuoka.wordpress.com/category/japanese-music/
https://www.monikasmekot.org
https://www.artsandaccounts.com

  • Kae Sakurai
    Director
  • Monika Smekot
    Director
  • Kae Sakurai
    Producer
  • Kae Sakurai
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Music Video, Short, Other
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 24 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 7, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    Japanese, No Dialogue
  • Shooting Format:
    1920 x 1080, 25 fps
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Kae Sakurai, Monika Smekot

Kae Sakurai
Originally from Tokyo, Kae Sakurai has a background in Ballet and Contemporary Dance. She first became interested in Scottish Dance at age 18, through Country Dancing in Tokyo which led to an interest in Highland Dance. She competed in Japan, Scotland, and the U.S.A. and qualified as a Highland Dance teacher in 1995. She taught Highland Dancing in Tokyo for eight years before moving to Scotland in 2005. Since then she has pursued Scottish Step Dancing having studied in Scotland and Cape Breton. 
Kae is an experienced choreographer who has collaborated with musicians and dancers like Janet Lees, Wallace Calvert, Corran Raa, Ainsley Hamill, Donald Lindsey, Aneta Dortova, Jennifer Oag and Lora Abe. Performances with traditional folk band Barluath include Celtic Connections and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals.
https://www.artsandaccounts.com

Monika Smekot is an independent video and dance artist based in Glasgow, weaving
together her practice in dance and cinematography. Her training in contemporary dance
and various other dance styles and techniques gives her an ability to read and understand
the movement for the camera. Her strong interest in dance improvisations helps her
continuously look for new points of view for the camera.
https://www.monikasmekot.org

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