Butoh; a contemporary Japanese dance form, developed in the sixties in the vibrant artistic re-awakening of post-war Japan.

Dancers who embrace this form change their concept of dance, and of life. They nurture a strong intention to unravel the mystery of a form that has little to do with forms of dance that are already established.

This workshop explores how to develop the performer’s ‘whole instrument’ through deep and subtle approaches. The physical body, mind, imagination, and energy or ‘vital life force’, are all aspects of a unified performer that need to be developed to the highest possible level.

So far Natsuko has had valuable opportunities to work with several Butoh artists. Now she has the opportunity to start a dance research project through giving workshops which is also an opportunity for local dancers, actors and artists to develop their movement practice, and to conquer new spaces within. It is important to note that Butoh is not only for dancers and it's not an art form exclusive to dance, it is an open concept through which each artist working in all forms can find their own inspiration.

The idea for the workshop is to realise of deep parts of our humanity which may have been neglected in our current perspectives of reality. 

One segment of Butoh is dedicated to the transformation of living beings, with an emphasis on their own interpretation of the movement that results from it. For example, we can use animals, insects or fishes as transformational inspiration but there are also relationships within the body using natural principles (gravity, spiral, wave, emotion etc.) Gravity for instance, every movement originates from the ground and gradually happens by itself after traveling through your whole body. This way you have the choice to move in a much more relaxed and powerful way, as well as leave more space and time within each impulse for emotional expression. 

The concept will serve as means of creating dance forms through which to express various other projects and issues that Art is dealing with.

Let’s get us out of the old habit and physical pattern, and discover the natural source of our body’s energy and possibilities together!

Natsuko Kono