Eiko Otake and Wen Hui, both celebrated women dance performers, choreographers, and filmmakers, are uniting once again on a new performance piece titled What is War. This collaboration comes after their successful remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic on the feature-length documentary film, No Rule Is Our Rule.
The pair, who first crossed paths in 1995 at the Guangdong International Experimental Theater Festival in China, share a unique bond shaped by their personal histories and artistic journeys. Otake, who grew up in postwar Japan, and Hui, raised in China during the Cultural Revolution, have both relocated to pursue their art in new settings—Otake in New York and Hui in Europe.
As they prepare for What is War to be performed in October at On the Boards, the duo explores a pressing question: Why do wars continue to occur 80 years after the conclusion of World War II? Otake emphasizes that they have reached a pivotal phase in their careers where their varying strengths can effectively complement one another.
Reflecting on their artistic growth, Otake states, “When we were young, many of us were trying to find our own voice and desire. But at a certain age, we open ourselves again, because we become curious about other people’s ways and voices.” This realization has led them to acknowledge their deep commonalities despite their different experiences and backgrounds.
Throughout their creative journey, Otake has expressed her admiration for Hui’s training in documentary film, while she herself leans towards themes of alternative worlds and transformation. To develop their latest performance piece, they actively participated in creative residencies at institutions such as Duke University, Colorado College, and Mass MoCA.
Through their work, the artists grapple with stark themes relating to war’s grotesqueness and its impact on humanity. Otake shares her thoughts, stating, “Tangible thoughts I recognized while working on this piece include: war is grotesque; war makes each one of us so small; war kills its own people; war makes us naked.” These reflections, which have been resurfacing for Otake during their collaboration, underscore the emotional weight of their exploration.
However, the global landscape has greatly influenced the tone and relevance of their work. Otake expresses discomfort with the timeliness of their piece, given the current events unfolding around the world. “It feels hard and wrong that the piece and its content became too timely,” she notes, indicating the unsettling nature of their themes amid ongoing conflicts.
As the world witnesses conflicts in places like Gaza and Ukraine, Otake and Hui find themselves in a moral quandary—how to create an aesthetically engaging performance around chaos and violence. Otake emphasizes, “It feels wrong, but giving up our inquiry on this subject does not feel like an option.”
In What is War, both artists share their personal memories while also inviting audience members to engage with their own relationships to the concept of war. Otake poignantly remarks, “Eighty years after World War II and fifty years after the Vietnam war, each of us forget what we know and how much we do not know, and that might be part of the reason why we still have wars.”
By delving into their stories and bringing them to life on stage, Otake and Hui wish to inspire audiences to reflect on their own narratives and acknowledge the voices of others that deserve to be heard. Through this powerful performance, the duo hopes to provoke thought and remembrance in a world still grappling with the shadows of war.
image source from：iexaminer
