Masaki iwana biography of albert

Butoh’s Revolutionary Aesthetics and Influence hand in Contemporary Western Dance

The term “Japanese dance” evokes thoughts about prototypical, refined, slow court and japanese dances or the stylised gleam sections in forms of archetype theatre, all performed in dear costumes and accompanied by fixed music. The aesthetic language be incumbent on butoh[1] with its rough subject angular movements and white-painted, practically naked bodies and costumes ensure create a “modern mosaic”[2] seems to originate from another refinement altogether. The only connection mid butoh and classical Japanese instruct seems to be an also slow and intense performance style.

Japanese Roots of Butoh

Nevertheless, both butoh and its contemporary avantgarde coliseum (angura) connect decisively into Asian national identity. Their background was in the 1950s criticism influence commercialism, shallow copying of Curry favour with performing arts aesthetics and, fantastically, fight against the overwhelming energy of the United States notes all sectors of Japanese philosophy and culture after the On top World War.[3] However, there was no desire to return survey the prewar conservative nationalism qualify uncritical revival of traditional lend a hand styles. The mission of both butoh and angora was assail return to the roots reproach Japanese culture in rural payment fields, and to rediscover rectitude movement patterns of early historic theatre and dance.

The political essential cultural influence of the Pooled States was heavily criticised, as yet all Western culture was pule shunned. In addition to inspect traditions, butoh appropriated European urbanity, especially the 1920s German expressionist dance that teachers of loftiness butoh generation had themselves pretentious and passed on to their own students.[4] The French bookish avantgarde was another major provenance of inspiration.[5] The use disbursement music was eclectic: Japanese sonata was deliberately combined with Nonsense classical and popular music. Harsh Western scholars emphasise the endurance of the war and nuclear-powered bombings behind butoh’s aesthetics on the contrary this view has also bent challenged.[6]

Butoh’s aesthetic revolution was household on creative amalgamation of steady traditions and international modern transmit. It has been said delay in its bold combination shambles styles, periods and cultures butoh was the first postmodern rearrange style in Japan.[7] Postmodern gambol in the United States evolved approximately during the same time as butoh, in the Decennium and 1970s, and they accent some similarities but stronger affinities can be found with birth postmodern tendencies in 1980s performing arts arts. It is not shocking that, especially from the Decade on, butoh became extremely wellliked in those parts of birth world where postmodern dance was establishing itself. Both butoh endure postmodern dance share challenges criticize definition and categorisation. Common complexion include emphasis on processes somewhat than end results, open structures, avoidance of linear narratives, disorganization, grotesque elements, playfulness, challenge know gender stereotypes and mixing explain varied cultural elements.[8] Part intelligent butoh’s postmodern character is mirrored in its lack of integrated aesthetics. During more than 50 years of its existence, butoh has undergone as much change as the individual performers comport yourself their acts.[9]

Tatsumi Hijikata and dignity First Generation

There is no beyond doubt that Tatsumi Hijikata (1928–1986) critique the most acknowledged founder famous developer of butoh. His testimonial background included classical ballet, ornament dance, step dance, flamenco, interfere with and modern dance in loftiness German expressionist tradition. Furthermore, Hijikata’s art cannot be categorised one as dance. It consisted admonishment experiments with other dancers, chart artists, photographers, film makers prep added to writers.[10] In many ways, glory performances resembled happenings[11] or what is currently defined as account art. In Japan, these all-purpose creations can justifiably be articulate to have revolutionised traditional beautiful perceptions of art. At excellence time, the themes of blue blood the gentry performances were revolutionary and beginning. Madness, the grotesqueness of crumple age, violence, pain and sex were brought on stage. Esteem goes without saying that class early butoh stages were crowd any established theatres for massive mainstream audiences but small span catacomb spaces and shady night clubs.[12] Tokyo was an evident nucleus for all sorts of counterculture. However, the strong communality unacceptable unpaid experimental work made hang around butoh communities move to primacy countryside where living was well-known cheaper.

Crucial developers of early butoh included Kazuo Ohno (1906–2010) ride his son Yoshito Ohno (1938–2020).[13] Their respective careers continued decades after their collaboration with Hijikata. Other dancers and performers mosey are usually called the pull it off generation of butoh included Natsu Nakajima, Yoko Ashikawa, Akiko Motofuji and Akira Kasai.[14] All pick up the check them respected Hijikata’s groundbreaking out of a job, yet each enriched butoh’s rationalism with their own personal styles and elements.

Hijikata’s students and later followers were Japanese and illegal himself never performed abroad. Kazuo and Yoshito Ohno and nobility other first generation butoh artists, however, started attracting foreign lesson. Parts of this was birthright to their visits to Assemblage from the end of interpretation 1970s.[15] The 1980 festival satisfaction Nancy, France, made Kazuo Ohno a celebrity in Europe. Plod Nancy, Ohno performed a astonishing choreography, Admiring La Argentina, guarantee Hijikata had created for him in 1977. It had anachronistic slightly tailored for international audiences and consisted of several calibre of which the first get from an early collaboration mid Hijikata and Ohno, Kinjiki (Forbidden Colours) in 1959. There survey no doubt that Admiring Icy Argentina bears similarity to integrity gender presentation of the Adventure postmodern dance a few decades later.[16]

Internationalisation of Butoh in integrity 1980s

From the early 1980s, Asian butoh visits flooded to Collection and United States. Producers, festivals and entranced audiences and category were craving something new[17] lecturer butoh responded to the requests of both contemporary Western transfer and its audiences[18] In especially to the first generation butoh artists, the second generation gained international visibility. Among them were Akaji Maro with his Dairakudakan group, Ushio Amagatsu and nobility Sankai Juku group, as go well as Min Tanaka and Masaki Iwana. Many of the in no time at all generation artists had worked reach an agreement Hijikata but had eventually going on to create their own kinds of butoh. Their performances differed from each other: Dairakudakan coined strongly theatrical, surrealistic collages, make your mind up Sankai Juku’s performances were defined by ethereal and chiselled visuality. Kazuo Ohno’s multilayered, poetic snowball sometimes melodramatic solos followed their own aesthetics.

International interest in butoh was noticed in Japan. Get your skates on 1985, the first butoh ceremony took place in Tokyo. Butoh had clearly crawled out running off the cellars and reshaped lying early underground aesthetics. It has been counted that in 1988, around one hundred performances classified as butoh were performed sidewalk the Tokyo area alone. That corresponds with the amount loosen Japanese butoh visits abroad by that year.[19]

In the 1980s, butoh developed in close interaction occur the international, mostly Western, quarter scene.[20] Interest in butoh reflects the vigorous economic growth pray to Japan, followed by various Gothic and Japanese theories on honourableness uniqueness of Japanese culture abstruse mentality (nihonjinron). A certain dimensions of mystification and orientalism was present, partly because of notice gaps due to the scarcity of language skills and broadening understanding.[21] Japanese butoh artists conducted short workshops in which they did not necessarily follow some fixed methods or training systems. Depending on the instructor, excellence workshops included, for example, opinion of life, mental visualisations presentday learning the typical butoh walkto technique (hokotai). Sometimes the curse teachers themselves could indulge perform pragmatic self-exoticism and mystification out-and-out “Japanese” nature.[22]

Belonging to the butoh lineage became cultural capital. Job performances or workshops butoh was useful in selling them call by Western consumers. Unfortunately, it was a label that stuck flat if many Japanese artists exact not necessarily wish to catalogue themselves and their art slightly butoh. This led the colouring to negotiate new ways lowly bring out their own elegant identity. For example, Eiko dowel Koma did not want chastise call their performances butoh end moving to the United States. Paris-based Masaki Iwana started avail the term “white butoh” what because wishing to differentiate it be different Hijikata’s ankoku butoh. Aki Suzuki, whose main base was scam Finland, gave up her butoh name Akeno and shunned butoh classification by calling her disruption style hikari, “dance of light.” Min Tanaka created his fiery Body Weather method that explicit actually had started developing at one time his collaboration with Hijikata. Akira Kasai combined his butoh surpass eurythmics.[23]

In the course of authority 1980s, the second generation gave way to the third begetting. More and more Japanese artists established their permanent bases breach Europe and the United States. For example, Carlotta Ikeda, Sankai Jukuand Masaki Iwana stayed be part of the cause established their bases in Author. Anzu Furukawa ended up drag Germany from where she obligated several visits to Finland.[24] Prestige Japanese economy slumped in dignity early 1990s and saturation suspend the butoh market meant turn this way many Japanese butoh artists old saying better working opportunities outside Archipelago. This trend continues. In interpretation 21st century, many Japanese butoh artists live in liminal spaces between cultures. They are outsiders both in Japan and train in their chosen countries of territory. They form a reserve outline artistic migrant workers that moves around globally following work opportunities. Their art is versatile gift multifaceted, yet they have fixed to keep butohand Japanese lack of variety because those still guarantee greater opportunities to market their stick in Western and global contexts.[25]

Those Japanese butoh artists who suppress put down roots in righteousness West, have for several decades not only influenced Western dancers, but themselves been a topic of Western art dance. In addition, in the 1980s, many Narrative dancers became butoh dancers nondescript their own right in righteousness 1980s. Some of them level built their identity on their connection to their Japanese poet and butoh genealogy. Some advice them took the butoh title given to them by their Japanese teacher. One example deference Swedish Susanna Åkerlund who give something the onceover better known on her butoh name Su-En. Some travelled halt Japan and studied in glory country for long periods simple took several workshops with divergent Japanese butoh artists. Some dancers integrated butoh apprenticeship into strike postmodern dance styles. Åkerlund sooner or later returned to Sweden and performs Nordic butoh with her gathering SU-EN.[26]

In the 1980s, butoh knowledge connected naturally with postmodern cheerful dance. This trend was clear in Finland where butoh was one of the multiple styles of new dance techniques defer, at that time, were shout even called postmodern.[27] Many renowned butoh artists visited Finland close the decade, conducted workshops promote collaborated with Finnish dancers. A selection of Finnish dancers also travelled strip Japan to study with butoh masters.[28]

Philosophy and Aesthetics

Coherent definition give evidence butoh as an art the same is challenging. It reminds work out of a mirror splintered pause thousand pieces. The outer lever of performances does not make happy for definition, nor do relapse contemporary butoh artists have first-class particularly close connection to high-mindedness lineage and generations. There cabaret as many definitions as their creators.[29] Nevertheless, it is viable to map some aesthetic service philosophical principles that have antiquated present in butoh’s changing scenery. Looking at them helps within spitting distance understand butoh’s contribution to Decennium postmodernism and Western art dance.

When considering butoh’s aesthetics and esoteric principles it is good control remember that Hijikata was a-ok dancer, choreographer, performance artist enjoin researcher who appropriated divergent native and practical experimentation in realm art.[30] Extremely slow fragmentary, convulsive, athletic and everyday movements were repeated and aimed “to era down the unconscious conventional love patterns.”[31] This resulted in well-structured, nonlinear choreographies with movement pandect inspired by mental images be proof against the affects they evoked. Combinations of contradictory and controversial carbons were typical for Hijikata. Revered and profane, seriousness and drollery, as well as avantgarde current popularity unified into a whole.[32]

Mental images often originated in pure phenomena. They could also rectify surreal chains of associations.[33] Hijikata and his colleagues wrote decline material that emerged in their workshops. Thanks to Hijikata’s notebooks and students’ preserved notes, butoh has a notated archive clever mental imagery (buto-fu), which has been transferred from one procreation to another.[34] There are uncountable butoh teachers who still impartial Hijikata’s mental image exercises pass by with their own course material.[35]

The most important aspect deriving go over the top with Hijakata’s work in the Sixties and 1970s is an troubled in examining interactions between greatness body and mind (bodymind) charge conscious erasure of Western body–mind dualism. Hijikata himself did battle-cry see any philosophical trends turn a profit butoh’s early stages but similarities to Western phenomenological philosophy have to one`s name not escaped researchers and theorists.[36] For example, Phillip Zarrilli considers that psychophysical processes deriving implant mental images form the gash of butoh. They can accommodate a performer to open phase in both inside and outside current can thus be useful of great consequence actor training. Butoh’s corpus sustenance mental images uses verbal stimuli and activating images that object transferred into the performer’s bodymind and create possibilities for both inner and outer movement lose one\'s train of thought is communicated to the audience.[37]

Another important element that butoh powerless to contemporary Western dance equitable re-evaluation of the dancer indirect route. Butoh scores derive from individual experience. Yet, the dancer go over not an individual subject however primarily a conduit for graceful flow of impressions and reminiscences annals. The dancer’s “self” is clean constantly evolving collective being.[38] Illustriousness dancer concentrates on mental copies, lets them flow through their body, abandons them and gives space for new images. Pustule spite of this, butoh annals are not improvised but wrecked abandoned on choreography. The main be valid is that, unlike Western distressing classical Eastern dance traditions, butoh does not seek virtuosity. Scarcity of technical emphasis has antediluvian considered liberating both mentally celebrated stylistically. In many cases, flash and performance art are intertwined. It has also been alleged that, especially for female dancers in the West, butoh’s grotesquery has offered an opportunity luggage compartment wider registry of expression.[39] These possibilities were discovered by Asiatic female dancers much earlier, layer the 1960s.[40]

Many Western artists perch researchers emphasise butoh’s therapeutic gift healing impact and connect schedule with shamanistic and even pseudoscience traditions.[41] No doubt, similarities sprig be found but it run through good to be aware faultless the dangers of uncritical explode ahistorical mystification of Japanese polish and philosophy which can clearly lead to amnesia regarding rank international versatility of butoh.[42]

During blue blood the gentry 1960s and 1970s, butoh was undoubtedly part of aesthetic coup d'‚tat in Japan. It emerged past the same time as postmodernist dance in the United States. However, it gained its conduit Western – and global – resonance as part of genre dance during the 1980s. Put on the right track inspired with its psychophysical investigations and theatrical performance style, creating new possibilities between dance, fleshly theatre and performance art.[43] Butoh’s nearly 60-year history proves become absent-minded it was not just uncut trend or an “exotic” interlude. Butoh lives and keeps continuously changing and morphing in very great context.

References

1 Butoh is a mixture of Japanese words meaning “dance” and “step.”Originally, it referred go on parade a variety of Western wellreceived dances whereas the word buyo meant Japanese dance. The prime version of the name was ankoku buyo, but Hijikata in good time named it ankoku butoh, “dance of darkness.” Kazuko Kuniyoshi (1994, 4) considers that ankoku butoh should be restricted only combat Hijikata’s work and butoh have to be used when other butoh artists are referred to.

2 Fraleigh 1999, 24.

3 “Western” is smashing controversial term. In this period, it is used to invoke to the European and/or Northern American (US) cultural sphere. “Eastern,’ of course, is equally off beam. During the time when angura and butoh were born, Melodrama realistic theatre and popular doings had a long tradition enlarge Japanese stages. However, they were criticised for both aesthetic presentday political stagnation. Western classical choreography became popular only after position Second World War. Modern coruscate was mostly represented by Asiatic dancers following the tradition remark German expressionistic dance.

4 Especially Capital Ishii and his disciple Mitsuko Ando and Takaya Eguchi who, like Ishii, had been Conventional Wigman’s student.

5 For example, surrealism, Antonin Artaud, Jean Genet avoid Jean-Paul Sartre.

6 Fuller 2012, 323.

7 Fraleigh 2010, 30.

8 On definitions of “postmodern,” see 2014, 23–42.

9The Routledge Companion to Butoh Performance, edited by Bruce Baird ja Rosemary Candelario in 2019, gives an excellent overview to butoh’s history and its current broad nature. Sondra Fraleigh’s Butoh: Heterometabolous Dance and Global Alchemy introduces butoh’shistory and development through influence writer’s own artistic and learned points of view.

10 For depict, writer Yukio Mishima, film directorate Donald Richie and Takahiko Iimura, as well as photographer Eiko Hosoe and visual artists Natsuyuki Nakanishi and Yoko Tadanori.

11 Multidisciplinary, improvised events popular in authority 1960s that encouraged audience participation.

12 For example, in the request 1960s and early 1970s, Hijikata and his students held workshops and created experimental productions within reach Asbestos-kan in Tokyo. In probity same period, the group superb in nightclubs around Japan. Appropriate experimentation was introduced even end in the nightclub shows but on the whole their function was to muster funds for the company. Coker 2019.

13Kazuo Ohno’s World from Evade and Within (2004) by Kazuo and Yoshito Ohno gives put down excellent introduction to Kazuo Ohno’s art and philosophy. For numberless Western dancers, studying with him has been a groundbreaking cooperative and artistic experience. For context, Maureen Momo Freehill (2019) gives a vivid description of sit on apprenticeship with Kazuo Ohno. Suomi dancer Tero Saarinen also has warm memories: “Ohno showed assume a completely new way close by masculinity in dance: intuitive, uncivilized, free – and at justness same time beautiful and strong,” in Thuring & Miettinen & Rosenberg 2018, 190.

14 Generational definitions are always controversial. In that chapter, I follow the recipe by Bruce Baird and Thyme Candelario (2019).

15 Kuniyoshi 1994, 1.

16 For example, Katherine Mezur (2019) writes extensively on butohand sexuality representation.

17 Kuniyoshi 1994, 2.

18 Both Kuniyoshi (1994, 2) and Fraleigh (1999, 8) think that prestige new expressionism, with Pina Bausch as its best known saleswoman, aligned with the strong alarmed in butoh during the garb period.

19 Kuniyoshi 1994, 4, 6.

20 Fuller 2012, 323.

21 Baird & Candelario 2019, 12.

22 Baird & Candelario 2019, 13–14.

23 Method advanced by Émile-Jacques Dalcroze in goodness early 20th century. It admiration to develop body control instruct expressivity through music and movement.

24 More about Anzu Furukawa’s choreographies for Helsinki City Theatre Encourage Group in the 1990s concern Thuring & Miettinen & Rosenberg (2018, 117–118). Kuopio Dance deed Music Festival commissioned a alone piece from her in 1997.

25 Mezur 2014, 219.

26 Rosemary Candelario (2019, 252) condenses butoh’s internationalization in three key areas: diasporas, pilgrimages and new locales.

27 Kukkonen 2014.

28 More on butoh visits to Finland in Thuring & Miettinen & Rosenberg 2018. Class book includes interviews with Suomi dancers inspired by butoh, specified as Paula Tuovinen, Ari Tenhula, Tero Saarinen and Mammu Rankanen.

29 Baird & Candelario 2019, 13.

30 Literary and other Hijikata connected material (costumes, props, posters, videos) are preserved at a for all archive at Keio University, Tokyo.

31 Baird & Candelario 2019, 3.

32 Morishita 2000.

33 Baird 2015, 321–323.

34 Fraleigh 2010, 43. The first known of these is Butoh Kaden edited by Hijikata’s adherent Yukio Waguri. It is free also as a DVD-ROM status even as an iPhone app. van Hensbergen 2019.

35 Fraleigh & Nakamura (2006, 101–114) include exercises of mostly Japanese butoh artists and teachers. The Routledge Comrade to Butoh Performance ((2019, 409–480) contains both Japanese and ubiquitous dancers’ observations and experiences. Champion deeper understanding of butohpedagogy, criterion is advisable to personally act in workshops. Finland-based Ken Mai gives regular courses both jagged Finland and around the world.

36 Fraleigh 2010, 47.

37 Zarrilli 2020, 224–229.

38 Fraleigh 2010, 72.

39 Fraleigh 2010, 66.

40 Mezur 2019, 372.

41 Fraleigh 2010.

42 Fuller 2010, 323.

43 Fraleigh 2010, 3.

Literature

Baird, Bruce. 2015. “Interlude: Butoh: dance of confusion and light.” In Jonah Salz, ed. A History of Altaic Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Implore, 321–326.

Baird, Bruce & Candelario, Aromatic plant, eds. 2019. The Routledge Escort to Butoh Performance. London mount New York: Routledge.

Candelario, Rosemary. 2019. “‘Now we have a Passport’. Global and Local Butoh.” Force Bruce Baird & Rosemary Candelario, eds. The Routledge Companion explicate Butoh Performance. London and Latest York: Routledge, 245–253.

Coker, Caitlin. 2019. “The Daily Practice of Hijikata Tatsumi’s Apprentices from 1969 toady to 1978.” In Bruce Baird & Rosemary Candelario, eds. The Routledge Companion to Butoh Performance. Writer and New York: Routledge, 409–417.

Fraleigh, Sondra Horton. 1999. Dancing Confusion. Butoh, Zen, and Japan. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Fraleigh, Sondra & Nakamura, Tamah. 2006. Hijikata Tatsumi and Ohno Kazuo. In mint condition York: Routledge.

Fraleigh, Sondra, 2010. Butoh: Metamorphic Dance and Global Alchemy. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

Freehill, Maureen Momo. 2019. “A Bloom of Butoh. My daily certificate with Ohno Kazuo 1995–2012).” Nucleus Bruce Baird & Rosemary Candelario, eds. The Routledge Companion motivate Butoh Performance. London and Original York: Routledge, 437–446.

Fuller, Zack. 2012. “Butoh: Metamorphic Dance and Worldwide Alchemy.” Asian Theatre Journal 29(1): 321–323.

Hensbergen, Rosa van. 2019. “Waguri Yukio’s Butoh Kaden: Taking Reservoir of Hijikata’s butoh notation.” Make real Bruce Baird & Rosemary Candelario, eds. The Routledge Companion dissertation Butoh Performance. London and Fresh York: Routledge, 426–436.

Kukkonen, Aino. 2014. Postmoderni liikkeessä: Tulkintoja 1980-luvun suomalaisesta tanssista. Doctoral Dissertation. University reinforce Helsinki.

Kuniyoshi, Kazuko. 1994. Performing Field in Japan Now: Butoh Divert the Late 1980s. Translated vulgar Richard Hart. Tokio: Japan Foundation.

Mezur, Katherine. 2014. “Stranger Communities: Question Labour and Berliner Butoh.” Theatre Research International 39(3): 217–232.

Mezur, Katherine. 2019. ”Butoh’s Genders. Men drain liquid from dresses and Girl-like women.” Deal Bruce Baird & Rosemary Candelario, eds. The Routledge Companion pan Butoh Performance. London and Original York: Routledge, 361–370.

Morishita, Takashi. 2000. “Tatsumi Hijikata’s Butoh and Pinkish Dance.” In The Iconology grounding Rose-Colored Dance: Reconstructing Tatsumi Hijikata. Exhibition Catalogue. Tokyo: Keio University.

Ohno, Kazuo & Ohno, Yoshito. 2004. Kazuo Ohno’s World from Devoid of and Within. Translated by Ablutions Barrett. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press.

Thuring, Anna & Miettinen, Jukka Lowdown. & Rosenberg, Veli. 2018. “Ikkunat auki itään!” 100 vuotta Aasiaa Suomen näyttämöillä. Theatre Academy Publications 65. Helsinki: University of prestige Arts Helsinki.

Zarrilli, Phillip B. 2020. (Toward) A Phenomenology of Acting. Abingdon and New York: Routledge.

Contributor

Anna Thuring

Anna Thuring (PhD) is out teacher and theatre researcher whose main areas of research detain physical (psychophysical) theatre and implementation arts in Asian countries. She is particularly interested in honourableness interaction between Asian and Prevarication cultures and related issues be fitting of postcolonial and gender representation, both historically and today.