Eiko & Koma: Dance For Camera

This is Eiko & Koma's second collaboration with videographer James Byrne. Since Lament had extensive editing, this work was created with the intention of using longer takes to better capture the nuances of movement. Byrne shot the entire work from the top of a ladder looking down on Eiko & Koma. Lighting was constructed so that naked Eiko & Koma are seen moving as if floating in a black void. Music by Ushio Torikai. Filmed in August 1988 at Jersey City (NJ) State College.

Lament is a collaboration with video artist James Byrne. Movement material is adapted from Eiko & Koma's 1984 performance work Elegy. Sound mix by Eiko & Koma.

Commissioned by the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN and made possible with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Jerome Foundation, St. Paul, MN. 1986, Eiko & Koma, James Byrne, Walker Art Center. Videographed July, 1985 at the Triplex Theatre, New York, NY. Edited in 1986. 

Having collaborated with videographers for previous media works, Eiko & Koma decided to work alone in creating Husk. Koma adopted the role of cameraman to film Eiko's solo piece. Eiko & Koma used the playback function of the video camera to create choreography for body and camera as one long take. This media dance is presented with no editing done in post-production. Sound design by Eiko. Filmed May, 1987 at the Kampo Cultural Center, New York, NY.

Filmed in June 1998 at the Whitney Museum of American Art and produced by the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts/Dance Collection. Breath is a creative archive project of Eiko & Koma’s living installation of the same title commissioned by the Whitney Museum. For the living installation Breath, Eiko or Koma was in the installation during all hours that the museum was open.

Wake is a cinematic dance collaboratively created by Eiko & Koma and James Byrne. It was filmed in special sessions during the premiere run of the living installation Naked, at Walker Art Center, November 2-30, 2010. James's body held camera moves with Eiko & Koma through a primal landscapes.