As part of the Buffalo-Kanazawa Sister City Committee and the Year of Japan in Buffalo-Niagara project, the silent language performance East Meets West graced the UB Center for the Arts Drama Theater stage Wednesday night.
"It's a different way of seeing East and West. I usually just see it in textbooks," said junior history and Japanese major Mari Talai.
The show was highlighted by the work of two main performers, Sergio Neglia and Yass Hakoshima. Neglia is an Argentinean Western ballet artist with a vast knowledge of the Japanese arts and way of life. Hakoshima, a distinguished Japanese mime performer, has the ability to transcend cultural borders with his distinct style. The two acts complement each other in such a way that an abundance of cultural styles fuse into one powerful concoction.
Inspired by a Japanese proverb, "the eyes talk more than the mouth," the act sets out to express emotion and thoughts through non-verbal actions. While the only verbal communication is from a narrator presenting each piece along with background information, the performances speak loudly without any words while the point becomes clear.
"It was exquisite. I like the East meets West concept," said Anna Dayneko, a junior at UB.
Like many works of art, the heart of this performance is in its theme: the world needs to unite now more than ever. While we all may come from different places with different backgrounds and different languages, we maintain the ability to communicate with each other and work together to create a beautiful and peaceful environment. It's amazing to see how these artists execute this simple yet constantly unachieved goal so wonderfully on stage.
The show is divided into two portions, with Neglia performing his ballet pieces in the first half and Hakoshima exhibiting his mime acts in the second. The narration before each set provides helpful information to further the understanding of the experience, making it much more accessible to the general public.
Though the main performers remain silent throughout their acts, there is not a lack of aural stimulation in the show. Each performance is accompanied by a musical piece that helps capture the emotion conveyed by the show's stars. Also included are live musical interludes performed separately by Sal Andolina on clarinet and Kaoru Oyama on the koto.
Andolina, a long-time member of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, represents Western music with intricate, precise clarinet melodies that seem to suck out his every last breath, while he miraculously finishes each difficult number.
Oyama provides two delicate pieces on a 30-stringed Japanese sideways harp known as the koto. While the ancient-looking instrument is probably bigger than its master, Oyama shows extreme concentration and technical finger skills on a device that must be even harder to play than it looks.
Producing finer, crisper stringed sounds than you are likely to hear at your next concert in Buffalo, the artist never misses a note. Even during her first piece, she concluded with a strong vocal accompaniment to her masterful koto playing.
The most astonishing thing to observe throughout the act was the amount of expression and emotion that the stars express, all the while keeping their voices silent. Ranging from comical to nearly tragic, both performers were able to convince audience members of their states of emotion through silent movement and expression.
Watching the torment that Hakoshima displays as a puppet struggling to break free from his master, and this becomes evident.
Combining the passion with the crucial theme of the performance and East Meets West proves its worth. Whether or not it is received well all the time is a different story, as it's difficult to count on everyone being open-minded.
"It was a collage of East and West, with some pieces representing one and some a mixture," said Professor Burkman, a history and Asian studies teacher at UB. "It goes to show that the arts presented here can have universal value, not specific to anyone."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
