“This is not your civilized self.”
I have kind of a love-hate relationship with butoh. I am fascinated by it, and admire the physical demands of it. The Japanese aesthetic has always been something I’ve loved, from kabuki through calligraphy through kinbaku, and so butoh is simply another aspect of that.
But…butoh is something different, too. Born out of the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there is a screaming, painful aspect to Butoh that hurts to watch, even as you are spellbound. But while the performers could play on the pity and sorrow, or even the regret of a nationalist policy that led to disaster for their nation, instead they simply focus on the art itself. It is enough, it seems, to have the work to do, and let the feelings speak for themselves. It’s not even based on a canon of moves, or styles; what’s more important is the spirit. "How can we exchange in life in a new way, and onstage in a new way? We need to train in an unconventional way.” says Vangeline in the New York Times article.
She will be performing on Halloween in NYC. Another performer, Paul Bartlett, has even modified the performance style for kids. “It’s hard to talk about it,” he said, “and I think that’s why it’s a great art: you can’t just tell someone what Butoh is."
Tags: butoh, performing arts, halloween
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POSTED IN: Dance Styles, General: Peforming Arts, Performing Artist Profiles, Performing Arts Reviews and Critiques
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