An ecology of embodied knowledge
Exploring butoh's legacy through workshops, events, and research across somatic and spiritual traditions.
From the experience of my butoh practice, one of the key metaphorical images in butoh is the body as an empty vessel: to fully embody the imageries which transform the body into an ongoingly and dynamically changing state. There is also another image illustrating the body is like a cage and humans are locked in the prison of the flesh...
What kind of embodied vessel or cage image was in Hijikata Tatsumi’s mind?
Elspeth Chan in Dive(rse) Dance
Could Replication Become Original? — A Review of 'About Kazuo Ohno'
Elspeth Chan in Dive(rse) Dance
In About Kazuo Ohno, Takao Kawaguchi pays homage to the legendary performer and butoh co-founder Kazuo Ohno (1906–2010) by meticulously studying archival recordings and replicating Ohno’s movements. Trained in mime and a former member of Dumb Type, Kawaguchi’s commitment to detail is palpable. Yet, this act of re-enactment raises a provocative question: can the spirit of butoh — an art form rooted in improvisation and the soul’s expression — be captured through replication?
Butoh Mutations: Our Artistic Journey
A collective of artists exploring embodied practices and butoh’s legacy through workshops, conferences, and events that engage contemporary discourse and the complexities of our times.
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