KARAS was formed in 1985 with Saburo Teshigawara and Kei Miyata as its principal members. The group's aim was to search for a 'new form of beauty'. 'Dance' is a form of art that is difficult to describe, as it consists not only of dance but also of elements of art, music, conscience, methodology and historical view. KARAS began considering all such factors through rock bands such as the Virgin Prunes. There were major discrepancies between what Teshigawara was aiming for and what was going on with dance in the 1970's and the first half of the 1980's_there was a lack of freedom. Dance has been divided into such categories as classical ballet, modern dance, Butoh, post-modern dance, and so on. This categorization is very much like the conventions found in classical arts. Because Teshigawara was aiming at freedom, he saw the dubious barriers erected around those who were creating and discovering dance as a lack of freedom. In a sense, one could say that "the freedom of dance is the freedom of the dancer".
This does not apply to dance alone. Being an artist in Japan means facing the conservative socio-psychological restrictions hidden under an outwardly serene surface.
Thus, KARAS believe that art must not stagnate conservatively.
" New discoveries must be made. What we discover maybe doubts or questions. We want to express these through action.
There are no ideals in dance. Dance is not simple. But dance can be simple. And it can once again be complex. What is important is clarity. Clear questions have force.
The 'clearly dissolving space' emerging from inside the idea of searching for a 'new form of beauty' -- the melting of this light, these bodies, these lines, this time and this meaning -- becomes visible, or invisible."

SABURO TESHIGAWARA
Saburo Teshigawara began his unique creative career in 1981 in his native Tokyo after studying plastic arts and classic ballet. In 1985, he formed KARAS with Kei Miyata and started group choreography and their own activities. Since then, he and KARAS have performed in major European cities, United States and Canada.
In addition to solo performances and his work with KARAS, Teshigawara has also been receiving international attention as a choreographer/director. In 1994/95 he choreographed for the Ballet Frankfurt at the invitation of William Forsythe, "Le Sacre du Printemps" for the Bayern National Ballet in 1999, and by Jiri Kylian for the Netherland Dance Theater I in 2000. There had been no such recognition in the Japanese dance history ever for a choreographer to be invited to work at this kind of international scale. It is a rare case even in Europe for one to be acclaimed both as a choreographer and a dancer.
Teshigawara has likewise received increasing international attention in the visual arts field, with art exhibitions, films/videos as well as designing scenography, lighting and costume for all his performances.
Teshigawara's keenly honed sculptural sensibilities and powerful sense of composition, command of space and his decisive dance movements all fuse to create a unique world that is his alone. Keen interests in music and space have led him to create site-specific works, and collaboration with various types of musicians.

KESHIOKO
1993, 10'
director, choreographer, editing: Saburo Teshigawara. photography: Nobuyoshi Araki. Music: Kunukunu
performers: Saburo Teshigawara, Kei Miyata, Shun Ito, Koichi Ienaga. production: Karas. Japan
An image and sound experiment, shot on location at a ship dock by Nobuyoshi Araki, the famous Japanese photographer.

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T-CITY
1993/ 28'
director, choreographer, photography, editing: Saburo Teshigawara. music: R. Angus, J Greinke, Zoviet France, Kim Cascone. performers: Saburo Teshigawara, Kei Miyata. production: Karas, Eurospace, Aichi Arts Center. Japan
A film which is "history" in video art, somewhere in between the '80s and '90s aesthetics. Images sculpted by mere light and shadow invite the spectator to a unique minimal visual trip.

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