The information presented was current when this article was published in May 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Dance Performance Group “Zunchacha”
Zunchacha is a dance performance group based in Okayama and Kurashiki, with a studio in Kurashiki City and the motto “Forever young, forever dancing!”
The group’s director, Suhara Yoshimi (from Kurashiki City), studied modern ballet and jazz ballet from childhood and moved to the United States alone in 1995. There, she met modern dance instructor Betty Jones, a former principal dancer with the José Limón Dance Company. Jones told her, “You are wonderful just as you are,” an encounter that became a major turning point in Suhara’s outlook.
Suhara had felt that physical limitations stood in her way as a dancer, so being affirmed for who she was brought both shock and a sense of liberation. While in the United States, she was also exposed to contemporary dance and was deeply impressed by its “free expression that makes the most of one’s individuality.” She became firmly convinced: “This is what I want to do.”
After returning to Japan, she formed the dance group Zunchacha in 1996. Each member had a day job and gathered after work, continuing to perform with one foot in each world: “working by day, dancing by night.”
Although there have been a few changes in membership, many of the original members are still with the group. Its staying power is what drives Zunchacha.
Though amateur, the group regularly puts on performances for live audiences and enthusiastically creates video works. It is also involved in community-based activities, including event appearances and dance workshops in Okayama and Kurashiki.
Zunchacha celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021, and the following April, it held the solo commemorative performance “BIRDS” at Okayama Prefectural Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza. In November of the same year, the group received the 2022 Fukutake Education and Culture Award from the Fukutake Foundation for Education and Culture, in recognition of its long-standing activities and contributions to the promotion, awareness, and development of contemporary dance in Okayama Prefecture.
Around the time of its 25th anniversary, Zunchacha also joined forces with Ars Kurashiki (Kurashiki City Cultural Promotion Foundation). For a group that had until then focused on independently produced performances, collaborating on local cultural projects has been a new challenge.
What Is Contemporary Dance?
The term contemporary dance may sound a little difficult to understand.
That is because, unlike ballet, contemporary dance has no set forms or rules. It centers on free, elusive expressions that emerge from each dancer’s body and senses.
Some people may feel puzzled by what seems like a disjointed progression, wondering, “Why that movement?” or “Is this dance?”
But this very “mystery” is said to be the appeal and fascination of contemporary dance. Each viewer experiences it differently, making it an experience shared only by those present in that moment.
Introducing Their Works — No Need to Look for the Right Answer; Just Feel Freely!
From captivating works with a distinctly “contemporary” feel to fun pieces that are sure to make you smile, you can watch Zunchacha’s official YouTube channel. Of course, experiencing the excitement of a live performance is best, but first, take a casual peek into Zunchacha’s world through these videos.
As a Zunchacha beginner, I’ve selected four different works from those currently available and will introduce them in the order I recommend watching them.
Zun to Ars 1 “Trip” / ARS KURASHIKI × ZUNCHACHA
@ Geibunkan Hall, 2022 video work
This dynamic work, with its striking camerawork, turns both the inside and outside of Geibunkan Hall into a stage.
Bright and cool, it’s approachable even for beginners, and everyone is sure to be drawn naturally into Zunchacha’s world. It unfolds from a gentle introduction into energetic scenes, with humorous movements sometimes set to comical background music.
Time flies by without a dull moment in this highly entertaining work, packed with everything that makes Zunchacha unique.
Zun to Ars 1 Nature Series I: Narutaki Forest Park
@ Narutaki Forest Park, 2022 work
Watching someone dance alone in the forest, you begin to feel as if they are breathing as one with it.
In my everyday work life, my computer screen is filled with text, and I’m constantly listening to someone’s voice as I search YouTube for information, so the feeling I had when I encountered this work was incredibly fresh.
You don’t have to read, listen, or think. Just surrender yourself to the images and music. The time spent simply taking it all in was so soothing. In less than three minutes, my mind felt gently cleansed.
This work has a powerful healing effect, showing that dance can be a source of comfort.
A Grand Collaboration with Bitchu Ura Daiko! From Zunchacha’s 20th Anniversary Performance “L”
@ Okayama Civic Cultural Hall, 2017 performance
This collaborative work with Bitchu Ura Daiko is recommended for those who feel somewhat distant from contemporary dance or are a little hesitant about it.
Modern dance blends with the sound and rhythm of taiko drums, which surely everyone in Japan loves, creating a feeling that is both nostalgic and new. The distinctive movements and drum rhythms draw you in, with hints of Noh and even African folk dance in the progression—you’ll want to keep watching.
ZUNCHACHA “PROCESSION” / Zunchacha “Procession”
【Creative project to produce a dance video work by Zunchacha, Takuma Kimura, and Toru Matsushita from 2023 to 2024, and submit it to international video competitions (including Cannes and New York)】
Grant: Fukutake Foundation for Education and Culture
This is Zunchacha’s latest video work.
In a wild and beautiful natural setting that makes you wonder what planet you’re on, the dancers move with strength and grace.
The black-and-white “PROCESSION,” the color “PROCESSION Planeta matris,” and a behind-the-scenes making-of video. Watching them all gives you a deeper sense of the creators’ passion.
“PROCESSION” in particular, with its striking black-and-white cinematography and memorable melodies that shift from scene to scene, leaves you with the lingering feeling of having watched a French film. Body, nature, images, music—their combined power creates a work filled with Zunchacha’s “now.”
After watching each of the four works, is there something you can’t put into words lingering softly in your heart?
Even for a short while, did you experience the extraordinary sensation of being transported somewhere else? That’s what Zunchacha offers.
To learn more about what makes Zunchacha special, we asked its director, Suhara, about her thoughts on the group’s activities.
Dance Performance Group Zunchacha Information
| Organization Name | Dance Performance Group Zunchacha |
|---|---|
| Industry | Contemporary dance / dance studio |
| Representative | Suhara Yoshimi |
| Year Established | 1996 |
| Address | CHIMI STUDIO, 2-18-3 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture 710-0046 |
| Contact | 0864250737 |
| Website | ZUNCHACHA website |
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