Yayoi
Sunday, January 16
11:00am
Westmark Whitehorse $6

Clad in austere black, Yayoi’s lithe figure unfurls a ribbon of movement to Ravel’s Bolero in a series of hand carved masks. One moment she is hunched in the posture of age, the next she is rocking a child. Blink and she is a different character, shooting a gun, or placing invisible flowers around her head. With gestures as delicate as lace, as precise as time, her lyrical transformations leave audiences in awe. Her contemporary productions, rooted in mime, dance, mask and drama, showcase a sculpted sense of fun and physicality engaged in re-creating traditional and modern stories.

Born in Japan, Yayoi has studied both Japanese and western performing arts. Her training includes noh-theatre, kabuki, classic and modern ballet and gymnastics. She has worked with various artists from all over the world performing dance and mime in Japan and internationally. She first came to Canada to perform at the Japanese pavilion during Expo 86. In 1989, she became the first mime artist ever to receive the Japanese Ministry of Education Fellowship and spent a year collaborating with artists in Germany and Canada.

She returned to perform in Canada many times before becoming a resident of Vancouver in 2002.

“ Graceful and unequivocal, an emotionally subtle and visually stunning manner”
~The Edmonton Sun

“ There are few women solo mime artists in the world. Among them, Yayoi Hirano is one of greatest...”
~Chunchon International Festival of South Korea

“ Yayoi will forever dispel the notion that the words “mime” and “artist” cannot be used in the same sentence.”
~Banana Magazine Summer 2001

Westmark Whitehorse shows are general seating.

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