"Cypher II" is the improvisational dance session that took place at Kiyomizu Kannon-do of Kan’ei-ji Temple on October 10, 2023. It is the more intimate and meditative of the two gatherings led by My-Linh Le. At the heart of both is the form and formlessness expressed in the dynamic layers of relationship involved in freest yle dance and movement. The performers in the center of the “cypher”—surrounded by objects, structures, and passersby that occasionally pause to watch, connected via space, sound, and energy flowing between all—respond and adapt spontaneously but not randomly to this context.

With the assistance of house dancer Jardy Santiago, Le filmed the entire session with a single action camera attached to her moving body while improvising along with the four Tokyo-based performers. The sound of the Inkin (bowl-shaped small bell) by the steward of Kan’ei-ji Temple echoed in the background. A video work based on this performance was exhibited in the Kompon Chu-do (central hall) of Kan’ei-ji Temple.

My-Linh Le (dancer/ar tist), Jardy Santiago, Go Yamashiro, Jasmine Mazlika, Runa Miura, Rion Watley

Cooperation: Gikyo Sugitani (Kan’ei-ji)