EMI MIZUNO Set designer of “Tanabata — The Story of Orihime & Hikoboshi”
Emi Mizuno, who has created set designs for Sacramento Ballet’s “Nutcracker,” said she hadn’t planned on working this summer when Higashiyama invited her to create the sets for “Tanabata.” Mizuno said she agreed to help because she was eager to see the Japanese tale set on stage. “This is maybe the first time this story was made into a ballet,” Mizuno said. “I’ve never seen a ballet version of this story, so I’m excited.”
Using a combination of black paper cutouts layered against a watercolor background, Mizuno created nine sets that would transport the ballet along a starry river. Mizuno found that the flowing look of the watercolor best illustrated the tale’s setting on the Milky Way. “I don’t do watercolor that much, so I’m experimenting a lot,” she said.
This is Mizuno’s first time designing sets for Sensory Friendly Dance and said the adjustment in lighting for a sensory-friendly performance influenced her design approach. “They said they couldn’t turn off the lights to the audience, but that makes the room really bright, which makes it hard to see the background,” Mizuno said. As the dancers perform on stage, the silhouette of their shadows becomes a lively part of the watercolor background. Since the house lights will be left on during the production — normally turned off in a traditional theater setting — Mizuno opted to use darker watercolors and adjust the position of the lighting to bring her set to life.
Arts like ballet are often perceived as something reserved for older, more mature audiences, Mizuno said, and children who can be louder “are often not allowed in that kind of space.”
“Ballet is such a comprehensive art. It’s a collaboration of dance, visual art, costume, music, lighting, storytelling — pretty much all kinds of art except for literal words,” Mizuno said. “Ballet doesn’t have words, but instead it speaks to our senses.”
https://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article276680466.html#storylink=cpy
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