Emerging choreographer: Rieko hatato
Up and coming choreographer and professional dancer, Rieko Hatato, joins Pointeworks Season II in our NYC Tour with a work inspired by the unforgettable feeling of young love.
More on the choreographer:
Rieko Hatato grew up in Japan where she started dancing at the age of five years old after seeing a performance of Swan Lake. She continued building her skills and competed in national and international ballet competitions, earning multiple accolades. It was through these experiences that her passion for choreography was sparked.
“I choreographed for myself a lot in the past like in a competition or in school,” Rieko states in an interview with Pointeworks.
Ballet competitions require classical and contemporary variations to be performed by contestants. The classical variations are chosen from a list of set-in-stone choreography from the great ballets of the past. But the contemporary variations have much more freedom, so Rieko choreographed her own.
Rieko’s experiences at the beginning of her choreographic journey follow her today where she is known to highlight her dancers’ strengths so that the choreography practically molds to the dancer, similar to the ways she would highlight her own strengths in her solos.
“It’s fun to choreograph on someone,” Hatato reflects, “I can imagine the dancers dancing and then I get to see it come together.”
Vision for the piece:
Titled Amour de Jeuneux, Hatato’s new work will bring to life Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 2 in G Major with a classically styled pas de deux. The two dancers will portray a young man and woman experiencing the purity and innocence of first love. “It’s about pure love and their relationship,” Hatato explains. “When I listened to the music it was very beautiful and pure and a little bit playful, so I decided to make it about young pure love.”
Rieko carefully selected the dancers for her piece, Valentin Batista and Sophie Williams, based on more than just skill. “Valentin and Sophie have very passionate personalities,” Rieko explains when asked about her choice of dancers.“They are very good at expressing themselves.” These qualities will be essential as they portray two lovers discovering their feelings for each other through dance.
Costumes play a key role in translating the story to the audience. For her piece, Rieko is collaborating with costume designer Nicole Nuschni to conceptualize the designs and create the final looks. “In my imagination I see light pink,” Rieko says, wanting the gown of the female dancer to convey a feeling of youth and innocence. Nuschni’s designs are intricate, delicate, and effective making her an ideal collaborator for this project where the costumes can enhance the story.
With her upcoming premiere in NYC, Rieko Hatato is poised to offer something truly special to the Pointeworks audience. Her technical skill, musicality, and nuanced understanding of choreography all promise a thrilling performance that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression. Rieko’s timeless, romantic pas de deux will make its debut at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater on March 21st, be the first to witness this emerging choreographer’s vision unfold on the stage.
