Dance artist Takeshi Matsumoto and TOAST celebrate Japanese kites, paper play and the inner child

Exploring what it means to dance and move through games and play, Japanese dance artist Takeshi Matsumoto lets escapism and experimentation lead his practice, developing performances for youth audiences, influenced by harmony, peacefulness and contentment. Inviting imagination and creativity through his Club Origami project – where movement and live music occupy a land of paper and play – Matsumoto performs alongside dancers Masumi Saito and Francesca Matthys for short film A Lightness of Being, directed by Joel Kerr and created with TOAST. Organically linked to the fashion and lifestyle brand’s collection of the same name, Matsumoto interprets the forms and philosophies that root TOAST’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection, referencing paper structures and the Japanese art of folding. Channeling the creativity and joy that come from taking a playful approach to life, his spirited choreography and hand-crafted paper designs mirror inspiration drawn from Japanese kites and kite making – symbols of lightness, movement and freedom, woven into the collection’s geometric forms, and panelled, wrapped and adjustable garments. ...read more at nowness.com _______________________________________ Subscribe to NOWNESS here: http://bit.ly/youtube-nowness Like NOWNESS on Facebook: http://bit.ly/facebook-nowness Follow NOWNESS on Twitter: http://bit.ly/twitter-nowness Daily exclusives for the culturally curious: http://bit.ly/nowness-com Behind the scenes on Instagram: http://bit.ly/ins