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The Thailand Choreography Symposium 2026 is initiated as a national and international platform for knowledge exchange, research and practice-based creation across traditional, folk and contemporary dance forms. The Japan Foundation, Bangkok, together with The National Choreography Centre of Thailand (NCCT) and the Unfolding Kafka Festival, proudly invite two Japanese Artists, Hiroaki Umeda and Satoshi Kudo, contributing to the advancement of contemporary performing arts, fostering cultural exchange, and strengthening artistic networks between Thailand and Japan.
[Artist Talk/ Demonstration and Open Lab by Hiroaki UMEDA]
22 February 2026 | 14:00–17:00 | Bangkok Kunsthalle
Artist Talk and Demonstration 14:00-15:00
Propose research concepts on movement that connect the body, technology, and improvisation through processes of perception, sensation, and bodily impulses.
Open Lab with Thai artist 15:00-17:00
The Open Lab offers Thai artists a shared experimental space to engage directly with Umeda’s methodology. Through hands-on exploration and open exchange, participants explore movement and improvisation while connecting contemporary choreographic research with local artistic practices.
[Workshop: Doutai Method]
23 February 2026 | 15:00-18:00
This workshop introduces Hiroaki Umeda’s Doutai Method, a movement method developed not as a dance style but as a fundamental principle underlying all forms of movement, starting with the basics. This method is used in his own choreography works and focus on engaging with the body itself. it can be shared across genres and beyond.
About Hiroaki Umeda / S20 (Japan)
Hiroaki Umeda is a Japanese choreographer and interdisciplinary artist known as a pioneer of contemporary works integrating technology and sound design on an international level. His creations fuse the body, technology, light, sound, and space, with “time and space” regarded as the core principles of his choreographic design. he is the founder of S20 and has received international recognition in the global arts scene, including the prestigious Prix Ars Electronica from Austria.
[Master Class by Satoshi Kudo]
25 – 27 Febraury 2026 | Bangkok Kunsthalle
18:00-21:00 Floor Work technique
28 February 2026 – 2 March 2026 | Bangkok Kunsthalle
16:00-18:00 Motion Qualia Method*
18:30-20:30 Improvisation
Motion Qualia is a movement theory and physical practice developed by Satoshi Kudo, a specialist in contemporary dance pedagogy who has collaborated with internationally renowned artists such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Ohad Naharin.
This approach emphasizes allowing the body’s natural physics to lead movement rather than strictly controlling form. Participants work with gravity, imbalance, weight, and momentum to discover movement that feels authentic and responsive to their own bodies.
*The workshop is open to professional dancers, students, and experienced movers interested in deepening their physical intelligence and expanding their relationship to movement creation.
Contact Information
For inquiries and more information on other programs, please refer to the contact information of Unfolding Kafka’s website. http://www.unfoldingkafkafestival.com/