Fuerza Bruta: "Panasonic Presents WA! Wonder Japan Experience" is an exhilarating, uninhibited and unforgettable show to be enjoyed by visitors to Japan and long-term residents alike.

Fuerza Bruta

Since its inception in Buenos Aires in 2003, under the direction of Diqui James, Fuerza Bruta has brought its postmodern and highly energetic spectacle enveloping audiences in a joyous frenzy of dance, acrobatics, music and art, to locations across the globe such as Miami, Chicago, Madrid, London, Berlin, Moscow, Shanghai and Taiwan. It also enjoyed a highly successful off-broadway run from 2007 to 2016 at the Daryl Roth Theater.

Throughout these years, Fuerza Bruta has developed and refined a unique formula for their performance: visually striking dynamic vignettes of action playing out on multiple moving platforms, acrobatic scenes with actors swinging on wires, stages which transcend conventional notions of gravity, an upbeat electronic music soundtrack and a participation style with no seats in which the audience interacts with the performance all around them, including directly above their heads.

For "Panasonic Presents WA! Wonder Japan Experience," which opened to rave reviews on August 1, 2017, Fuerza Bruta has enhanced this tried and tested formula by weaving in iconic elements representing the rich traditions of Japan: samurai warriors and modern interpretations thereof, kimono-clad dancers, matsuri (festival) music and dance, giant Noh masks, colorful patterns inspired by ukiyo-e prints and designs reminiscent of family crests projected digitally onto flowing curtains, taiko drumming, and shakuhachi flute, all of them seamlessly blending into the performance to delight the senses. However, at the same time, it is the kind of creation that only the wonder-filled eyes of a foreigner could imagine. In artistic director Diqui James' words: "We are not trying to make a history book. We want to show our fantasy about Japan."

Prelude to Wonder

Participants who are welcomed into Stella Ball in Shinagawa Prince Hotel have the initial impression they are entering a night club. As a low-key EDM soundtrack reverberates, they make their way through a corridor alternating with blue and red lights flanked by cloth curtains and a low cloth ceiling, reaching an intersection where they can choose between four rooms with Japanese family crest patterns projected on the ceiling and images of traditional Japan projected onto the walls.

As they wander through the space in anticipation of the spectacle ahead, ninja-like figures soon appear with lights and drums. This prelude to the show comes to a dramatic end as the curtains partitioning the space are suddenly lifted away and upbeat music drums up excitement. Curtains rising and billowing, strobe lights illuminating the scene, all eyes scan the vast performance space and the multitude of faces brimming with interest.

A sense of wonder fills the air as participants realize that the show is about to begin.

Samurai on the Run

One of the recurring vignettes in the show could be described as "samurai on the run." An elevated platform adorned with family crests, the entire surface of which acts like a giant treadmill, is pulled into the center of the main floor. Samurai wearing various kinds of armor walk or run in place, at times stopping abruptly and then letting the treadmill carry them to the edge of the platform, creating a surreal effect. At other times, a wind machine shoots a stream of mist or smoke in their direction. The samurais face huge red banners, shoji screens, and even other warriors swinging swords, all suspended with wires and sent hurtling in the direction of the platform, creating the impression as they make contact that they're running through them.

At one point, a large white curtain traverses the space as two samurai in silhouette battle to the death. The action comes to an abrupt halt with a final spray of crimson blood.

Later in the show, the platform reappears, this time with a man wearing a more contemporary interpretation of samurai armor. The barriers he encounters are postmodern walls which explode in a burst of geometric lines and confetti as he hurls himself through them.

Gravity-Defying Geishas

On the main stage, we are treated to an equally startling experience as women dressed in colorful but loose-fitting kimonos and neo-geisha makeup slide into our field of view. The base of their kimonos is affixed to platforms which rotate independently. After reaching the edge of the stage, they amazingly slide up the wall while maintaining their upright position and continue their looping trajectory while suspended upside-down from the ceiling. This elaborate stage device allows the performers to create astonishing patterns of motion on two levels. At the same time, jets of mist create a continuous row of horizontal lines traversing the stage in a pattern reminiscent of a wind tunnel test. The combined effect is surreal, dramatic and visually arresting.

Reaching the Crowd

The experience of a Fuerza Bruta show is unmistakably a collaborative work. Not only are participants mobile, free to circulate in the space as they wish, but there are also several opportunities for them to physically interact with the show as it happens. As a thumping EDM soundtrack vibrates the air, an MC appears on stage and calls out to the crowd which responds in turn.

Later, a billowing cloth ceiling vividly colored with digitally projected patterns is punctuated with several holes from which performers appear. A giant funnel descends from one of these holes and a powerful wind machine is deployed. A man clad in black descends into the crowd as participants reach out to touch. The crowd is keenly aware of the symbolism: this wormhole is creating a bridge between the previously adjacent yet separate worlds of performers and observers.

The funnel disappears into the hole and in its place, performers descend on cables from the ceiling. Volunteers strap themselves in and ascend high above the crowd before descending to be released, wide-eyed and exhilarated from the experience.

Matsuri Mayhem

Now, the merriment and mayhem begins. With matsuri (festival) music blaring, performers wearing colorful happi-style jackets over T-shirts printed with traditional patterns or kabuki-face prints come out to dance with the crowd. Festive platforms are pulled into the main stage with dancers and drummers. Our attention is focused on a large pavilion in the center stage where an international cast of performers treat us to a lively performance with original choreography incorporating the movements of matsuri dancing.

As the tempo increases, dancers on platforms and dispersed among the crowd work themselves up into a frenzy. They are clearly paying homage to the spirit of Japanese matsuri wherein participants are known to become energized with "divine intoxication." The effects are contagious, and not a frown can be seen on the elated faces of the participants.

Bathers Above

In contrast with the mayhem of the matsuri scene which put the action all around the participants, the show shifts focus once again and directs our gaze directly above as a giant square basin constructed of reinforced plastic or other transparent material slowly begins to descend. In a scene perhaps inspired by the abalone divers and bathers of Utamaro's ukiyo-e prints, women in fish and shellfish-themed swimwear bathe, frolic in the water―gently at first, but with increasing intensity as they dive in with a splash and slide across the surface―and swim together in choreographed patterns. The stage descends even further, finally stopping within inches of the participants' heads and the swimmers interact with the enthused crowd.

Drumming Up Excitement

One of the highlights of the show is surely the grande finale with a concert of taiko drums on the main stage below two towering Noh masks. Combining drumming with dancing, the musicians deftly switch arm positions and execute choreographed steps, wowing the audience with their high-energy performance. As the rhythm picks up, acrobatic performers strapped together on cables swing back and forth above the crowd as multi-colored confetti rains down.

In a penultimate scene, the running samurai are replaced with a trio of performers representing the gamut of the show. As they run in place, struggling to hold hands, they finally synchronize their positions and are lifted above the ground before making a triumphant exit high above the crowd.

Your Experience Awaits

True to its name, "WA! Wonder Japan Experience" is more "experience" than "spectacle." Unlike with many shows and performances in Japan, participants are actively encouraged to share photos and videos on social media. The creators are confident that no matter how many audio-visual records proliferate on the internet, these could never possibly replace actually experiencing the show in person. In fact, their promotional materials for their Japanese audience use the slogan: "The Only Spoiler is the Experience." And what a wondrous experience it is!

Fuerza Bruta: "Panasonic Presents WA! Wonder Japan Experience" is currently scheduled to run until December 10, 2017, but judging by how popular it is, we think there's a good chance it may get an extension into 2018. Ticketing and further details are available on their website.