“They should... drop a ladder deep into their own bodies and climb down it. Let them pluck the darkness from within their own bodies and eat it.” — Tatsumi Hijikata

Dark Ecstatic Dance is a new Butoh Mutations offering of collective dance and free-movement. The format was developed during the April 2026 Arctic Butoh Mutations retreat. It combines breath work and release techniques with a free movement jam through a curated sound journey through deep drone, minimalist and dark electronic music, indigenous vocal traditions, and live gong accompaniment.

The session offers an open-form, non-judgemental dance space. It is a place for Butoh Mutations participants to improvise and deepen their practice, and also an invitation for those who are simply curious — including people with no prior experience of Butoh or dance — to dip into Butoh as a dance of darkness.

The 2.5 -hour gathering follows energetic principles. Movement arises from deepening the breath, working with sensation and imagery, and spontaneous movement rather than steps or technique. The sound journey offers an acoustic portal into rich encounters with inner landscapes.

The session unfolds in three phases:

• Arrival and descent (30 minutes): participants are gently guided into bodily sensation through breath practices, and sensory exercises.

• Immersion (90 minutes): continuous open, self-directed dancing on the open floor.

• Return and integration (30 minutes): a soft landing through rest, reflection, sharing, drawing or journaling, accompanied by warm tea.

This is a ritual dance space — welcoming, exploratory, and grounded in embodied listening, a place to encounter the unknown in your own body.

Schedule:

8 December 2026: 7.00 - 9.30pm

📍 Colet House, London

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