Listening to Movement

Tokyo, Japan. A look back at the Japanese eurythmy project, Nimo.


The Nimo Symphonic Eurythmy Project began in 2019 from a small sprout on Japanese soil before first 20, then 26 Japanese eurythmists began its production in November 2020. The project, which began with the question: “What is your dream?” was conceived as a eurythmic staging of Antonín Dvořák’s symphony “From the New World.” The group successfully gave two performances in 2023, accompanied by a piano duo. In August and September of this year, performances accompanied by an orchestra also took place in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. Four of the five performances were completely sold out, and the final performance was also almost fully booked.

Many of the 2,500 visitors saw eurythmy performed for the first time. The aim of the project, to make eurythmy accessible to a wider audience, was achieved right from the start. With this intention in mind, we tried out two things: One was to organize an eight-part workshop series on symphonic eurythmy, which was attended by a total of 200 people. The second was a demonstration of up to 30 minutes of ”proper” spectatorship, which we incorporated into the program of all performances. Although art should be inherently “tangible,” people nowadays find it increasingly difficult to simply “feel.” In addition, up to 19 eurythmic dancers moving on stage at the same time can be visually overwhelming, even for those who have seen eurythmy before. In the demonstration, we instructed the audience to “watch as if they were listening.”

The project was a team effort in the truest sense of the word. Everyone involved worked wonderfully together to make the performances the best they could be. The word Nimo in the name of the project is derived from the Japanese word Nimokakawarazu, which means “despite this.” The performances have shown us that we can follow the path of collaboration despite many difficulties and differences, just as it works in a symphony. When people come together with an inextinguishable light in their hearts, it creates a warmth that also touches others.


More NIMO Symphonic Eurythmy Project

Translation Charles Cross
Image Nimo Symphonic Eurythmy Project

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