［Ennosuke Ichikawa, artistic director of Kyoto Art Theater Shunjuza, will present "Ennosuke Ichikawa Shunjuza Special Dance Performance" at the theater from September 2 (Fri.) to 4 (Sun.), 2022. Challenging the role of Dokugaku, a family specialty of Sawasabaya and often performed by the current Ennosuke, will be Ichikawa Danjiko, the eldest son of Ichikawa Chuguruma (Kagawa Teruyuki), his cousin. Ichitaro Nakamura will also join Ennosuke and Aotora to perform "Gyokashiki Sagashi". Ennosuke, Danjiko, and Aotora were present at the press conference and spoke of their aspirations.


　Danjiko, who will be performing in Kyoto for the first time, said, "I want to practice hard and not be embarrassed. When I was a child, I danced with a lot of energy, but now that I am 18 years old, I hope to be able to pull out the parts of my dancing as an adult and dance in a slow and steady manner. My grandfather (En'o Ichikawa II) taught me that it is not good to be too aggressive, and that I should focus on the basics," he said. I think it is suitable for first-time viewers," he said, adding that he had high hopes for the performance at the Shunjuza. Ennosuke, who teaches Danjiko the role, said, "I want her to dance the basics, like gymnastics, and like a role model. Taste is something you have to live your life to get it, so start with the basics," he advised.
　Aotora, who assumed the name of Aotora Ichikawa II in February 2022, will take on the challenge of "Gyokashiki Sagashira". I want to challenge various things and become a powerful actor while inheriting the spirit of Sawasagaya. It is like a dream come true to be able to perform at the theater associated with my master," he said with a smile.
　I wanted him to carry on the name Aotora, which has a long history. I want him to be able to do everything in a good way," said Ennosuke, who has high hopes for Aotora, who will perform his first role as Yoshiro in "Gyokashiki Sagashira". He expresses his confidence, saying, "It's one of those old-fashioned pieces, and I knew I would play Yoshiro someday." He will also perform "Dokuraku" in the study group "Hitotsunagi-no-kai," which is held for younger performers. I thought it would be interesting to dance the same 'Dokuraku' as in the main performance," he said. Japanese dance peddlers dance lightly. I want people to feel the fun of a passionate person dancing smoothly," he said, expressing his enthusiasm for the special performance.

　A related performance, "The Third Hitonagi-no-kai" (September 4, from 3:00 p.m.), is a dance study group led by volunteers from the cast of "Super Kabuki II One Piece". In addition to Ichikawa Danichiro and others, Ennosuke and Seitora will make special appearances at the performance.
　Aotora said, "The Corona disaster had left young actors without a place to present their performances, and Mr. Ennosuke suggested that if the special dance performance ended in the afternoon, we could have a 'Hitotsunagi-no-kai' after the performance. I will try my hand at onnagata, which is something I don't often do, so please come and see my performance.

Both "Ennosuke Ichikawa Shunjuza Special Dance Performance" and "The 3rd Hitonagi-no-kai" are going to be unmissable performances! Check them out!