"Tsunagu" - A Stage Where Sign Language Dance and Music Resonate

Hands weave words, and the body carves out the resonance.
Music runs like light, piercing the heart.
In the moments where vocals, melody, sign language, and the body intersect, the stage reveals a new form.

The performance "Tsunagu," produced by students of the Arts Management Course at Showa University of Music, is a stage where music and sign language dance respond to each other. It began with a question from a student. "How can we create a performance that people with and without disabilities can enjoy in the same space?"This project is the answer to that question, demonstrated not through words, but through action. Third-year students in the Arts Management Course take on everything from planning and production to publicity, bringing it to fruition over about half a year.

The performance features "Hitoshi Kitamura & UD DANCERS JAPAN," a unit that pursues the fusion of sign language and dance. They layer emotions onto sign language movements, depicting the worldview of the lyrics with their entire bodies. Their performance is not a "translation" of the lyrics, but a "re-creation" through the bodya "re-creation" through the body. Some members are dancers with hearing impairments, but you would never know it unless told. They feel the vibrations, check their companions' movements and gazes, and dance as if layering their breathing together, possessing astonishing precision and concentration. Their perfectly synchronized ensemble represents the pinnacle of technical skill and expressive power, demonstrating a level of perfection as "performing art" that transcends the framework of sign language dance.

In this "Tsunagu" performance, "Hitoshi Kitamura & UD DANCERS JAPAN" will fully integrate with a live band for the first time. As the body responds to the real resonance born on stage rather than a recorded track, sound and movement become one. The heat and dynamism unique to a live performance, which can never be captured in a recording, fill the stage.

The co-performing "Showa Dream Band" is a dream band specially formed for this performance by university faculty (Jazz Course / Pop & Rock Music Course faculty).

Remi Nachi (vocals) is a jazz vocalist who gives the melody a three-dimensional quality with a voice that is both glossy and resonant. Mariko "makoring" Takase (vocals) is an expressive vocalist who vividly brings out the contours of words. Ryo Hayashi (keyboard) is a keyboardist who brings depth and breadth to the music with solid musicianship. Takashi Saito (drums) is a drummer who combines delicacy and energy to create a sense of dynamism across the entire stage. Junko Sugawara (guitar) is a guitarist who adds color to the music with precise sound creation and beautiful harmonies. Mutsuhiro Shirofune (bass) is a deep-seated bassist who supports the ensemble with a bass that has a sense of embrace.
The sounds played by these masters transform the stage into a "living musical space" while supporting the students' challenge.

The program includes songs loved across generations, from the latest J-POP to Showa-era classics, such as Official Hige Dandism's "Subtitle," Dai Hirai's "題名のない今日 (Untitled Today)," Ryokuoushoku Shakai's "Mela!," B'z's "Illumination" (theme song for the 2024 NHK serial TV drama "Omusubi"), and Kyu Sakamoto's "Ue wo Muite Arukou (I Look Up As I Walk)." Songs heard with the ears meet the movements of the body, creating a new musical experience that resonates with the heart visually as well. ("Ue wo Muite Arukou" will be presented as a band performance only, without dance accompaniment.)

The venue is equipped with hearing loop seats, wheelchair-accessible seats, sign language interpretation, and subtitles, creating an environment where many people can enjoy the performance with peace of mind. What the students aim for is a "stage where everyone can feel music with their hearts."

The Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, an international competition for the hearing impaired, will soon begin. In such a commemorative year, I hope you will enjoy that moment where everyone, regardless of age, gender, or the presence of a disability, resonates and connects their hearts.

Note: Titles and honorifics for performers in this text have been omitted for editorial consistency. Thank you for your understanding.

"Tsunagu" - Music and Sign Language Dance Connecting Hearts -

Saturday, November 22, 2025, 17:00 (Doors open at 16:30)
Venue: Showa University of Music, North Building 5F, Studio Lillie