A Butoh workshop with somatic approach with Yumino Seki
‘Express without expressing’ ~ Tatsumi Hijikata (founder of Ankoku Butoh).
This is a most controversial idea but it is at the very core of Butoh.
We deepen our awareness from the everyday consciousness to the body’s innate state, becoming an empty vessel.
This workshop will explore Hijikata’s quote through elements of Japanese traditional puppetry as a metaphor.
舞踏, Butoh is a form of Japanese avant-garde dance which emerged from the post war chaos in Japan in the late 50s when the country grappled by the clash between new Western technology and traditional Japanese values. Butoh became a new form of expression, neither an imitation of Western culture nor a traditional Japanese cultural practice. Butoh was called ‘the dance of darkness’. Influenced by German Expressionism, self-identity was radically explored with bodily expression. Butoh proposes culturally diverse ways of seeing such as the cycle of life & death, Ma (in between space which applies to both time & space), Wabi (humbleness/simplicity) and Sabi (process of decay).
Somatic is the study of a ‘person’ as a living functional body. Integrating the body, mind and emotion whilst using movement as the main exploratory tool. Shifting attention from ‘action’ to ‘active listening’ and through attentive touch our perception will be enhanced. Experiential anatomy drawn from somatic practice helps us elicit details and a depth of expression, from robust muscular action to subtle cellular presence in micro movement.
Using this sensory feedback and Butoh’s perspective as guidance we will explore Butoh’s unique visceral & complex expression. Creating the neutral body as an empty vehicle the transformative and transient nature of the body will be rigorously investigated, where process becomes the work itself. Aiming to embody sensation and imagery in movement. Working in groups, pairs and individuals in both dynamic and quiet practice the workshop will be guided by imagery based improvisations with music. Be attentive, curious and playful.
Butoh sees dance as a living process and it pushes the boundaries of what we already know.
Booking & Info: yuminoseki@gmail.com
Drawing: April Yasamee
