Aug 20

As an ex-pat with nothing but obsessive affection for my former digs, I remain ever vigilant for any infinitesimal sign that Japan may be in the house. Any attempt to promote and dignify Japanese culture attracts me. When I see it, I am honor-bound to share. Dakara, I rec-o-mmend-o…

Show me a more definitive symbol of Nippon than a samurai and I will show you  Hello Kitty 味 curry.

Have you dudes heard of Samurai Sword Soul?

jam01

Well, why the S not?  ^_^

Serving up the 和風 to audiences since 2003, S.S.S is a highly professional TATE or sword-fighting theatrical group in New York. Fast becoming a staple of the Japanese event scene, their action-packed stage shows attract crowds for a reason.  Who can possibly say no to samurai?

For those of us raised on the monosyllabic, unbalanced Belushi incarnation or the schizophrenic charms of Ruroni Kenshin, allow the adroit members of SSS to prove in the flesh that samurai embody a far wider range than bow, grunt and boldly confront death.

They slash. They parry. They emote.

Formed by producer, Yoshi Amao and artistic director, Y. Kuwayama, in addition to advancing the badassery of Japanese culture through performance, SSS also offers classes on sword techniques ranging from basic to advanced.

It is highly possible more than a few of you attended this year’s fully-packed Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Do any of you recall a group of performers yielding katana onstage like bats outta hell?

That, friends, may have been your first encounter with Samurai Sword Soul. The Japanese artistic community of Nueva York is a fairly tight-knit outfit.  Rather like a corset. There’s overlap and tie-ins and everyone seems to know just about everybody.

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One of the members from my yosa-koi dance team also lends his talent to this worthy endeavor. As providence would have it, SSS is taking part in this year’s Fringe Festival!

So what are you waiting for?

CHECK THEM OUT! More righteous stage combat and samurai bushido-ing than you can shake a bokken at.  Plus, any physical art that can waltz gracefully with camp is good eats in my book. ^_^  If you are a fan of kendo, samurai, hakama or just lovely ladies and the blades that wear them, dont just seiza around! 走れ and see SAMURAI SWORD SOUL on da Fringe!

Scattered Lives postcard

Scattered Lives postcard

*MAKE PLANS QUICK! They’ve got 3 performance days left!  However, SSS performs fairly frequently at events around the city so if you miss your chance this month, stay tuned…


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