Cross Transit

Akiko Kitamura's Cross Transit “vox soil”

Where there is no common language, gestures and breath, even meaningless sounds become the rhythm of conversation.

Cross Transit was started in 2015 by the dancer/choreographer Akiko Kitamura and creates experimental works inspired by the artists and culture she encounters during her research of traditional dance, music, rituals, and martial arts in various regions of south and south-east Asia. The latest work is “vox soil”.

Any place has its own pulse-a heartbeat, a rhythm-that is tied to the land, the soil. It is an innate pulse that is passed down from generation to generation through the daily life, music, and rituals of a particular place. The rhythm in the northeastern state of Manipur, India, is a slower one, and it was here that Akiko encountered the composer/musician Mayanglambam Mangangsana. It was also here that she rediscovered the richness of dialogue embodied with this inherited rhythm.

These local rhythms are absorbed, pulsate, and bring forth memories that unite the heart, mind, and body. When these different pulses from different places come together, mix, and melt into one, they surpass any particular culture, language, or nationality. They become the seeds that bloom into “The Future Asia.”

“vox soil” is an experimental work incorporating these different pulses from within Asia. In addition to Mangangsana from India and dancers from Japan, it also includes Luluk Ari from Indonesia and Chy Ratana from Cambodia.