Continuity, Inheritance, and the Power of "Mitate" 

At the heart of CRAFT lies continuous research. The seeds of SKUMITATE began with a single branch found in a forest. During the initial research phase, Takuya processed this organic branch into a "white cane", developing a unique movement language born from the interplay between its organic shape and the human body. Inspired by an encounter with puppeteer Alexander Hopman Lilja, Takuya began crafting his own puppets to integrate into the work. This hands-on approach led to the creation of SEBONE, a duo performed by Takuya and Beda Åsbrink, which utilised these self-made, life-sized puppets, suitcases, and the cane.

The project then transformed into SKUMITATE - IN PROGRESS (2023), collaborating with tap dancer Gustav Borehed and musician Emiliano Sacripanti. This marked CRAFT’s first collaboration with both a dedicated musician and a dancer from a different discipline. The experience was a profound encounter with the stark differences in "language" between specialised fields, marking the beginning of a deep exploration into communication methods. In this iteration, the puppets were replaced by 12 branches that Takuya hand-crafted to serve as marionette strings, a prison, or time itself—visualising the reciprocal influence of four dancers and live music.

Building on this, CRAFT conducted its first residency and creation workshop as an outreach project in Kogane4422 (Nagoya, Japan). Drawing from the ideas and structure of SKUMITATE -IN PROGRESS, the project involved reconstructing previous work and creating a new 30-minute short piece with local dancers. Together with the performers, we gathered branches from a local forest to craft white canes. Through the sharing of creation methods and intensive research, the outcome was presented at Kogane4422 to great acclaim.

This was a pivotal moment—uncovering the profound potential in the circulation of research, creation, and workshops. This breakthrough was then carried forward into the next iteration: SKUMITATE (2024).

The new core of the project became a fundamental question: "What defines a puppet?" Working with textile designer Shogo Hirata, the team drew inspiration from the haunting presence of puppets and the inherent "strangeness" of inorganic matter. This led to the creation of three iconic jackets that serve simultaneously as costumes and as puppets. We conducted exhaustive research of these materials, exploring how to breathe a sense of life into the inanimate. This rigorous exploration of the "boundary between object and body" has become the wellspring of CRAFT’s unique choreographic language.

It was also at this time that Alexander Hopman Lilja and Endre Schumicky (Irish dance) joined the cast, creating a state where every performer brought a different discipline to the table. This creation solidified CRAFT’s unique methodology: a process of digging into the unique individuality of each collaborator—including the inherent friction and negotiation—to spin a new common language. Takuya refers to this essential process as "translation".

Subsequently, a second outreach project took place at Dance Base Yokohama (DaBY). Focusing on research into the jackets, CRAFT worked with diverse performers—including contemporary, tap, stunt, and capoeira—to dismantle and reconstruct SKUMITATE. The project concluded with a public showing and an after-talk session. The event sparked a dynamic discussion on the contrasting creative environments and cultural mindsets of Northern Europe and Japan. This experience paved the way for the 2025 iteration: SKUMITATE -ärvda relationer byter skepnad.

In this phase, Mplulu Ntuve (street dance) joined the project. This created a new dynamic: a dialogue between disparate languages—Tap and Krump—that share common ancestral roots. As the Swedish subtitle suggests, the work was reborn—not merely as an inherited repertoire, but as a living entity undergoing profound transformation.

The Meaning of SKUMITATE 

The project title, SKUMITATE, is a portmanteau of the Japanese word Mitate (the art of seeing one thing as another) and the Swedish Skum (foam/weird/alien). By layering the meanings of these two words, the phrase "the gaze of the outsider" emerged. Furthermore, when the alphabet of the title is read phonetically in Japanese, it creates an unintended auditory resonance. It evokes the command: "Stand up, even if you are frozen in fear" (Sukumi-tate). Within this serendipitous linguistic intersection, Takuya found a sense of hope.

The Evolution of SKUMITATE and Beyond 

CRAFT’s sphere of activity has further expanded into the realm of education. By invitation from Balettakademien Göteborg, Takuya was commissioned to create the graduation performance for the final-year students. This marked the third phase of the SKUMITATE outreach project. Utilising the expertise cultivated through SKUMITATE, and centred on the theme of "shifting perspectives", Takuya created a new work with ten graduates and an original score by Emiliano Sacripanti. The title of this work, AMANEKU., is a Japanese archaic term meaning "universal" or "widespread", while simultaneously suggesting something "commonplace" or "found everywhere". The insights gained through this collaboration have evolved further, directly informing and reflecting the vision of the current project, COME WANDER WITH ME(2025-2026).