Appeared in performances by Kim Itoh + the Glorious Future in 1996-2000. Helped establish “Study of Live works baneto” in 1998, and received the Prix d’Auteur de Conseil Générale de la Seine-Saint-Denis in 2000. In 2004, unveiled “mass, slide ,&  .”, which won a first prize at the Toyota Choreography Award in 2006. As a dancer, Shirai appeared in ”Devil’s Story” choreographed by Yuri Ng (2004-05), and “Kin-Jiki (Forbidden Colors)” choreographed by Kim Itoh (2005). In 2006, launched the company “AbsT”, and produced the pieces “Shihani – subsoil” and “THECO-zako-”, to be performed with seven contemporary musicians, in 2007. Won the first Japan Dance Forum Award in the same year. Since 2006, he has been collaborating with the famous Arditti String Quartet on John Cage’s “Apartment House 1776”, touring around ten major Japanese cities. In 2007, he was involved in “true”, a collaborative work by ten artists conceived in-residence and first performed at YCAM before embarking on an ongoing tour around Europe and Brazil among others. In 2009 and ’10 he made ”Blue Lion” and ”Still Life” respectively, both of which were produced and premiered in Kyoto. Also conducted the ”Surround Garden” workshop themed around sound and physical expression at YCAM in August 2010.

photo: Ryo Shirai