Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2012

Corporate support for the arts is a recent concept in Japan that Toyota has gone for in a big way. The auto giant’s decade-old choreography award is the biggest and most prestigious in the nation, and some of its winners have gone on to stellar careers. This year six acts from 197 entries compete for the ¥2,000,000 Nextage award as well as an audience award. Highlighting the growing dominance of women in Japan’s contemporary dance scene, five of them are female including, like Yuriko Suzuki, a number of whose works have already been staged overseas.

Setagaya Public Theater, July 22 (listing).