PHOTO：Youichi Tsukada
Choreographer,Artistic Director, Dance Theatre LUDENS
Takiko Iwabuchi holds a Professional Dance Studies Diploma at Laban Centre in London and also majored in sports physiology and kinetics at Tokyo Gakugei University(BA in 1992, MA in 1996). After finishing the university, she joined ATM Dance Company in Mito, Japan and danced under French artistic director and choreographer, Herve Robbe. In search of a new environment, Ms. Iwabuchi became a freelance dancer in 1997. During the 1998-99 season, she joined Aphasia Dance Company based in Netherlands, and performed a trio piece [In the Emptiness] choreographed by Ted Stoffer, also participating in hie research project for Jerwood Foundation. After the company's touring in England and Netherlands, she returned to Japan and founded her own company Dance Theatre LUDENS in March 1999. Ms. Iwabuchi was invited by Akiyoshidai International Art village as a resident artist in 1999, 2002,2006． The company created [Via] for the performance in cooperation with Theatre Ｘ(kai). She received the Dance Web Scholarship and participated in Dance Wochen Wien, Austria as a scholarship recipient in the summer of 1999. She was commissioned by Park Tower Art Programme from 2000-2002 and premiered full length piece [Distance](2002), [Es](2001), [Be](2000) at Park Tower Next Dance Festival, and commissioned by New National Theater Tokyo [Against Newton](2003), [Against Newton ](2004). Dance Theatre LUDENS had been annually supported by the Saison Foundation for its activitiessince from 2000 to 2005. In February 2001, Ms. Iwabuchi received the French Embassy Award for Young Choreographer and Yokohama Culture Foundation Award for [Be]-duo- at the Solos × Duo Dance competition as part of Yokohama Dance Collection 2001. With these awards, she engaged herself in resident activities at National Choreographic Center in Tours (France). Also received newcomer award from Japan Dance Critic Assosiation for [Distance] in 2005. Iwabuchi received a scholarship from Asian Cultural Council in 1992 for her research. Dance Theatre LUDENS Dance Theatre LUDENS was established by Takiko Iwabuchi in 1999. The name of company "LUDENS" is derived from "Homo Ludens" by Johan Huiznga meaning "playful people". It focuses on a creation process and engages itself in activities on a project-to-project basis. LUDENS premiered "Via"(1999), "Be"(2000), "Be"-duo version-(2001), "Es"(2001) , "Distance"(2002), "Against Newton"(2003), "Against Newton "(2004), and "Moments"(2006), "Moments07"(2007),also presented "Es" (video version) as a dance video work. Works are created through research and collaboration by choreographer Takiko Iwabuchi and the company dancers, to depict human relationships and one's internal self in intriguing manner. The company's works have been widely presented nationally and internationally such as Park Tower Next Dance Festival（2000-02／Tokyo）, New National Theater(03,04／Tokyo),Yokohama Red Brick Hall（04,06,07／Yokohama）and The 3rd Daejon International Dance Festival (Korea), Le Printemps de la danse(Tunisia), National Choreographic Centre in Tours(France), impulstanz(Austria), Dance Biennial(Tokyo Aoyama Enkei Theater), Indonesia Dance Festival, No Fundo do Fund (Portugal Dance Festival)and so on. The company had been annually supported by the Sais
