I first came to Australia in 1991 as a member of Tokyo’s seminal Butoh Company DaiRakudakan.

It was a short trip of only 10 days and we were performing at the Melbourne International Festival. The first thing that struck me about the country was how vast it was. It was such a big, wide country but there was still a quiet nature to the place. I was quite excited to be here from the beginning.

Since that first trip till 1993 when I migrated to Australia, I came in and out of the country quite frequently. I spent quite a lot of time in the St Kilda area during my visits. Since, as a dancer I was involved in the arts scene, about 80% of the people I met were artists but I noticed something too about the general public. It seemed that almost everyone was into art and people were discussing and providing detailed feedback on performances that were going on. It was also not just the big performances that got attention, but people were talking about the smaller ones held in places like cafes. The arts scene in Tokyo was also very vibrant, but what I felt about Australia was that there was a very high interest in the arts among the community.

When I moved to Australia with two suitcases, I took it as a very light decision.

I had spent the last five years in Tokyo and thought it was time for a move. I was also in love with a local person then so I asked myself: “Why not?” but looking back now, I realise what a big choice it was. When I’m here, the spatial elements are quite powerful for me. It’s much less populated here, compared with Tokyo, and you are basically surrounded by less people when you’re walking around. I feel that I have more space, more air and I can breathe more freely here. This really changes my mental and physical perspective. The people here are also open and free and that’s another thing I love about the country.

Since the beginning, I’ve loved the Australian landscape.

During my first few years here, I didn’t have the opportunity to meet many Aboriginal people but since 2004, I got involved with a company called Marrugeku (http://www.marrugeku.com.au/) and Big hART (http://bighart.org/public) in 2006 which focus not only on art but things like language and social change. Though working in those projects held in amazing landscapes and getting to know various indigenous communities, I’ve really started to get a deeper understanding on the energy of the land and feel how very special and ancient this land and culture are. It looks calm, quiet and beautiful, yet can be wild, rough and harsh, and I love those double-sided mysteries in this ancient and spiritually vast place.

– Yumi Umiumare (www.yumi.com.au). Photo courtesy of Albert Comper.