[New York] Giant Origami Performance Connecting Music and Dance — at Japan Village Brooklyn

Date: September 20, 2025
Venue: 2F Event Space, “Japan Village” Brooklyn
Performers: Taro Yaguchi (Taro’s Origami Studio) / Dancer Kai Izumi

Origami is both a static art that fascinates with its finished model and a dynamic art where the act of folding itself becomes an expression. On September 20th at Japan Village in Brooklyn, origami artist Taro Yaguchi presented his unique style of folding a 1.5-meter sheet suspended in mid-air, joined by dancer Kai Izumi’s physical expression and musical direction. Together, they immersed the audience in a shared experience of the “process of folding.”

Showing the “Process” of Folding

A giant sheet of paper was suspended in the air, its angles and tension shifting as Yaguchi carefully folded it step by step. The essence of this performance lay in revealing the process leading up to the final form. The creak of fibers, the flash of light along a crease, the accidental fluctuations in tension—audiences witnessed the “birth” of the work and felt the dynamism of meaning emerging before their eyes.

“Origami is not only about the final form, but also about the process.
Folding giant paper in mid-air is always a challenge, but it brings people together in a very unique way.
And music is also an essential part of creating this experience.”
— Taro Yaguchi

Dance in Dialogue with Origami — Kai Izumi and the Power of “Ma”

Dancer Kai Izumi traced the rhythm of the folds with her body, at times supporting the shifting weight of the paper, at other times guiding the audience’s gaze. The sense of timing—“ma”—in her dance highlighted transitions between steps and the application of force, changing the atmosphere with every fold. The result was a multilayered sensory experience engaging sight, touch, and sound simultaneously.

Music and Projection Mapping Creating Immersion

Music underscored the performance with shifts in tempo and dynamics, aligning the audience’s breathing with the progression of the piece. When the rhythm quickened, folds became sharp; when the sound softened, attention focused on delicate adjustments at hand. Far from background music, the score functioned as a staging device, shaping how the folding was perceived. Projection mapping further amplified the experience, adding visuals synchronized with the folding process.

The Atmosphere — An Almost “Participatory” Closeness

The performance unfolded within arm’s reach, making the audience’s expressions and shifting positions part of the stage itself. The curious stares of children, the moments captured through smartphone screens, the small applause after each fold—“watching” became a form of participation. This intimacy is what makes live, mid-air folding uniquely compelling.

Looking Ahead

This performance embodied the transformation of paper from a flat surface into a three-dimensional sculptural presence, where light and shadow intersected along its seams. Using a sheet far larger than conventional origami paper, Yaguchi’s folding revealed graceful, efficient movements guided by crease lines, demonstrating the boundless potential of paper as a medium.

Looking forward, Taro’s Origami Studio aims to expand these performances not only in Brooklyn but in other locations as well, sharing origami as an “art of process.” Updates will be announced on Taro’s Origami Studio’s social media.

Origami Performance: Taro Yaguchi (Taro’s Origami Studio)
Dance: Kai Izumi (Taro’s Origami Studio)
Venue Cooperation: Japan Village Brooklyn
Photography: Shintaro Ueyama
Projection Mapping: Nanae Itoi
Direction: Taka Matsushita