The Oberlin Review
<< Front page News November 5, 2004

Yukiko Shishikura’s senior project transforms Warner

From Japan to America, senior Yukiko Shishikura draws us into her incredible life and experiences in her senior show, The Power of Tradition. Its performances are dedicated to Shishikura’s grandmother, who passed away in 2002. Unable to attend the funeral, Shishikura wants to show her appreciation and love for her grandmother.

“Tonight, I will bring her soul to this stage and tell and show her how I have grown up and how I have been able to recognize the importance of traditions that she taught me through my experiences with Dance Diaspora,” she said.

The show begins with a prologue, featuring a slide show of Dance Diaspora’s trips, Japanese dance performances from Color of Rhythm ’04, and Kumamoto, Japan. At one point during the slide show Shishikura plays “Furusato” (Hometown) on the trumpet; the beautiful melody and sheer emotion in her playing captivate the audience, setting us up for a mesmerizing performance.

Shishikura turns Warner Main into a whole new world. An absolutely exquisite altar remains on stage throughout the entire show, while other representations and decorations move on and off stage. The flow of movement is not disrupted throughout; the result takes the audience away from the space and into Shishikura’s vision.

The second piece in the program is titled “Welcoming Fire” (Mukaebi). Mukaebi is a Buddhist Festival that calls on the deceased ancestors to return home. A fire is lit to help show them the way. Shishikura has created a representation of this festival that gives the audience a feel for what it may be like to attend one; the fire in the center of the stage genuinely gives a spiritual feel to the dancing and singing.

The following three pieces summarize Shishikura’s childhood along with traditions, and finally her arrival in America. A childhood game, Kagome, begins the travel through time. Shishikura and three friends play the game, which could bring a smile to anyone’s face. They continue to play until a song is heard. The song, Takibi, is played every day at 6 p.m. in the city Shishikura grew up in. Her grandmother would tell her that when this song played, it was time to go home.

The next section, titled “Coming to America,” produces both sounds and situations that we are all familiar with, but perhaps not from Shishikura’s point of view. The song “No Scrubs” by TLC plays, along with many everyday sounds of airports, cities, subways, and more. The world that surrounds Shishikura is obviously American. We are shown situations that she has encountered when she first arrived here, and though they are funny at face value, knowing that they actually occurred shows us how people from America can stereotype the unknown.

Shishikura then comes to Oberlin and is introduced to Dance Diaspora one month after her grandmother passes away. A truly special bond has been formed for Shishikura; she explains, “I believe that they took over my grandmother’s responsibility in taking care of me.” The live drums begin their beats and we are taken on another adventure with Dance Diaspora. The energy both the dancers and drummers create in the space is truly incredible. It’s impossible not to sit at the edge of your seat, staring in awe, and wanting to jump up and join. The dynamism remains for the entire piece, not losing its power for a second. The show then brings us back to tradition with three flower arrangements dedicated to those who sacrificed themselves for her ancestors, Adenike Sharpley and her grandmother. Shishikura has now said what she needs to say, and the dancers perform the closing Kuma-River Dance (Kumagawa Ondo). The steps, Shishikura says, “...refer to features of my hometown...” The closing continues with absolutely beautiful dancing as paper lanterns are released from the skies. In the Obon festival that inspires this piece, the paper lanterns contain the souls of the deceased and are placed into the river to send the souls back to the heavens.

The performance comes to a finish with beautiful singing by the dancers and drummers. The song, “Itsuki-noKomoriuta,” is from Shishikura’s home region, Kumamoto, Japan. “It is a lullaby song for people living in the heart of the mountain,” she explains. The entire night is calmed through this song and a feeling a peace and love fills Warner Main. As the last dancer walks off stage, it is clear that this is a performance that no one will be able to forget.
 
 

   

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