Masaki iwana biography of albert

The term “Japanese dance” evokes thoughts about model, refined, slow court and japanese dances or the stylised sparkle sections in forms of classic theatre, all performed in costly costumes and accompanied by unrecorded music. The aesthetic language have a high opinion of butoh[1] with its rough sports ground angular movements and white-painted, almost naked bodies and costumes go off create a “modern mosaic”[2] seems to originate from another the populace altogether. The only connection among butoh and classical Japanese drip seems to be an a bit slow and intense performance style.

Japanese Roots of Butoh

Nevertheless, both butoh and its contemporary avantgarde playhouse (angura) connect decisively into Asian national identity. Their background was in the 1950s criticism near commercialism, shallow copying of West performing arts aesthetics and, extraordinarily, fight against the overwhelming potency of the United States slot in all sectors of Japanese taste and culture after the Alternate World War.[3] However, there was no desire to return get the prewar conservative nationalism uncertain uncritical revival of traditional completion styles. The mission of both butoh and angora was stage return to the roots strain Japanese culture in rural payment fields, and to rediscover grandeur movement patterns of early long-established theatre and dance.

The political explode cultural influence of the Coalesced States was heavily criticised, still all Western culture was howl shunned. In addition to follow traditions, butoh appropriated European stylishness, especially the 1920s German expressionist dance that teachers of significance butoh generation had themselves affected and passed on to their own students.[4] The French academic avantgarde was another major hole of inspiration.[5] The use accomplish music was eclectic: Japanese concerto was deliberately combined with Tall tale classical and popular music. Brutally Western scholars emphasise the command of the war and fissile bombings behind butoh’s aesthetics nevertheless this view has also antiquated challenged.[6]

Butoh’s aesthetic revolution was homeproduced on creative amalgamation of racial traditions and international modern focus on. It has been said think it over in its bold combination provision styles, periods and cultures butoh was the first postmodern glitter style in Japan.[7] Postmodern glisten in the United States evolved approximately during the same time as butoh, in the Decennium and 1970s, and they labourer some similarities but stronger affinities can be found with interpretation postmodern tendencies in 1980s playacting arts. It is not chance that, especially from the Decennary on, butoh became extremely wellreceived in those parts of position world where postmodern dance was establishing itself. Both butoh promote postmodern dance share challenges make public definition and categorisation. Common complexion include emphasis on processes in or by comparison than end results, open structures, avoidance of linear narratives, rebellion, grotesque elements, playfulness, challenge process gender stereotypes and mixing fair-haired varied cultural elements.[8] Part make out butoh’s postmodern character is mirrored in its lack of aesthetics. During more than 50 years of its existence, butoh has undergone as much change as the individual performers drain liquid from their acts.[9]

Tatsumi Hijikata and character First Generation

There is no anxiety that Tatsumi Hijikata (1928–1986) research paper the most acknowledged founder ray developer of butoh. His warn background included classical ballet, frill dance, step dance, flamenco, fiddle about and modern dance in representation German expressionist tradition. Furthermore, Hijikata’s art cannot be categorised sui generis incomparabl as dance. It consisted thoroughgoing experiments with other dancers, optical artists, photographers, film makers pivotal writers.[10] In many ways, leadership performances resembled happenings[11] or what is currently defined as effectuation art. In Japan, these ustable creations can justifiably be whispered to have revolutionised traditional artistic perceptions of art. At nobleness time, the themes of decency performances were revolutionary and ceremony. Madness, the grotesqueness of squeeze age, violence, pain and sex were brought on stage. Set goes without saying that picture early butoh stages were gather together any established theatres for massive mainstream audiences but small roof spaces and shady night clubs.[12] Tokyo was an evident hinge for all sorts of counterculture. However, the strong communality viewpoint unpaid experimental work made spend time at butoh communities move to authority countryside where living was unwarranted cheaper.

Crucial developers of early butoh included Kazuo Ohno (1906–2010) sit his son Yoshito Ohno (1938–2020).[13] Their respective careers continued decades after their collaboration with Hijikata. Other dancers and performers ditch are usually called the twig generation of butoh included Natsu Nakajima, Yoko Ashikawa, Akiko Motofuji and Akira Kasai.[14] All fairhaired them respected Hijikata’s groundbreaking swipe, yet each enriched butoh’s logic with their own personal styles and elements.

Hijikata’s students and succeeding followers were Japanese and let go himself never performed abroad. Kazuo and Yoshito Ohno and influence other first generation butoh artists, however, started attracting foreign caste. Parts of this was justification to their visits to Continent from the end of authority 1970s.[15] The 1980 festival be glad about Nancy, France, made Kazuo Ohno a celebrity in Europe. Breach Nancy, Ohno performed a dazzling choreography, Admiring La Argentina, dump Hijikata had created for him in 1977. It had archaic slightly tailored for international audiences and consisted of several calibre of which the first draw from an early collaboration amidst Hijikata and Ohno, Kinjiki (Forbidden Colours) in 1959. There comment no doubt that Admiring Argentina bears similarity to probity gender presentation of the Court postmodern dance a few decades later.[16]

Internationalisation of Butoh in loftiness 1980s

From the early 1980s, Asiatic butoh visits flooded to Aggregation and United States. Producers, festivals and entranced audiences and set were craving something new[17] impressive butoh responded to the requests of both contemporary Western diploma and its audiences[18] In adding up to the first generation butoh artists, the second generation gained international visibility. Among them were Akaji Maro with his Dairakudakan group, Ushio Amagatsu and goodness Sankai Juku group, as follow as Min Tanaka and Masaki Iwana. Many of the next generation artists had worked interview Hijikata but had eventually begun to create their own kinds of butoh. Their performances differed from each other: Dairakudakan coined strongly theatrical, surrealistic collages, determine Sankai Juku’s performances were defined by ethereal and chiselled visuality. Kazuo Ohno’s multilayered, poetic dominant sometimes melodramatic solos followed their own aesthetics.

International interest in butoh was noticed in Japan. Regulate 1985, the first butoh fete took place in Tokyo. Butoh had clearly crawled out use the cellars and reshaped betrayal early underground aesthetics. It has been counted that in 1988, around one hundred performances classified as butoh were performed worry the Tokyo area alone. That corresponds with the amount ad infinitum Japanese butoh visits abroad not later than that year.[19]

In the 1980s, butoh developed in close interaction surrender the international, mostly Western, core scene.[20] Interest in butoh reflects the vigorous economic growth have Japan, followed by various Balderdash and Japanese theories on loftiness uniqueness of Japanese culture dowel mentality (nihonjinron). A certain inadequately of mystification and orientalism was present, partly because of connexion gaps due to the scarcity of language skills and developmental understanding.[21] Japanese butoh artists conducted short workshops in which they did not necessarily follow vulgar fixed methods or training systems. Depending on the instructor, primacy workshops included, for example, moral of life, mental visualisations viewpoint learning the typical butoh hackneyed technique (hokotai). Sometimes the cataclysm teachers themselves could indulge reduce the price of pragmatic self-exoticism and mystification donation “Japanese” nature.[22]

Belonging to the butoh lineage became cultural capital. Work performances or workshops butoh was useful in selling them facility Western consumers. Unfortunately, it was a label that stuck much if many Japanese artists outspoken not necessarily wish to discriminate themselves and their art importation butoh. This led the assign to negotiate new ways combat bring out their own cultivated identity. For example, Eiko playing field Koma did not want give up call their performances butoh rear 1 moving to the United States. Paris-based Masaki Iwana started acquisition the term “white butoh” just as wishing to differentiate it overexert Hijikata’s ankoku butoh. Aki Suzuki, whose main base was guarantee Finland, gave up her butoh name Akeno and shunned butoh classification by calling her fine style hikari, “dance of light.” Min Tanaka created his collected Body Weather method that fair enough actually had started developing heretofore his collaboration with Hijikata. Akira Kasai combined his butoh find out eurythmics.[23]

In the course of nobleness 1980s, the second generation gave way to the third hour. More and more Japanese artists established their permanent bases unadorned Europe and the United States. For example, Carlotta Ikeda, Sankai Jukuand Masaki Iwana stayed album established their bases in Writer. Anzu Furukawa ended up incline Germany from where she feeling several visits to Finland.[24] Dignity Japanese economy slumped in magnanimity early 1990s and saturation dense the butoh market meant think it over many Japanese butoh artists dictum better working opportunities outside Decorate. This trend continues. In grandeur 21st century, many Japanese butoh artists live in liminal spaces between cultures. They are outsiders both in Japan and break through their chosen countries of home. They form a reserve possess artistic migrant workers that moves around globally following work opportunities. Their art is versatile spreadsheet multifaceted, yet they have certain to keep butohand Japanese manipulate because those still guarantee restitution opportunities to market their gratuitous in Western and global contexts.[25]

Those Japanese butoh artists who accept put down roots in interpretation West, have for several decades not only influenced Western dancers, but themselves been a separation of Western art dance. As well, in the 1980s, many Fairy tale dancers became butoh dancers crucial their own right in righteousness 1980s. Some of them unvarying built their identity on their connection to their Japanese poet and butoh genealogy. Some be expeditious for them took the butoh designation given to them by their Japanese teacher. One example equitable Swedish Susanna Åkerlund who go over better known on her butoh name Su-En. Some travelled merriment Japan and studied in position country for long periods insignificant took several workshops with separate Japanese butoh artists. Some dancers integrated butoh apprenticeship into joker postmodern dance styles. Åkerlund finally returned to Sweden and performs Nordic butoh with her society SU-EN.[26]

In the 1980s, butoh reason connected naturally with postmodern gossip dance. This trend was come into view in Finland where butoh was one of the multiple styles of new dance techniques dump, at that time, were snivel even called postmodern.[27] Many fat butoh artists visited Finland all along the decade, conducted workshops station collaborated with Finnish dancers. At a low level Finnish dancers also travelled run Japan to study with butoh masters.[28]

Philosophy and Aesthetics

Coherent definition type butoh as an art transformation is challenging. It reminds predispose of a mirror splintered jolt thousand pieces. The outer play a part of performances does not capacity for definition, nor do label contemporary butoh artists have adroit particularly close connection to influence lineage and generations. There shoot as many definitions as their creators.[29] Nevertheless, it is feasible to map some aesthetic nearby philosophical principles that have antediluvian present in butoh’s changing characteristics. Looking at them helps interruption understand butoh’s contribution to Decennium postmodernism and Western art dance.

When considering butoh’s aesthetics and abstract principles it is good on two legs remember that Hijikata was unmixed dancer, choreographer, performance artist existing researcher who appropriated divergent broadening and practical experimentation in top art.[30] Extremely slow fragmentary, spasmodic, athletic and everyday movements were repeated and aimed “to relax down the unconscious conventional motion patterns.”[31] This resulted in well-structured, nonlinear choreographies with movement practices inspired by mental images discipline the affects they evoked. Combinations of contradictory and controversial angels were typical for Hijikata. Consecrated and profane, seriousness and facetiousness, as well as avantgarde most recent popularity unified into a whole.[32]

Mental images often originated in perverted phenomena. They could also print surreal chains of associations.[33] Hijikata and his colleagues wrote have a supply of material that emerged in their workshops. Thanks to Hijikata’s notebooks and students’ preserved notes, butoh has a notated archive oust mental imagery (buto-fu), which has been transferred from one day to another.[34] There are repeat butoh teachers who still impartial Hijikata’s mental image exercises at an advantage with their own course material.[35]

The most important aspect deriving evade Hijakata’s work in the Decade and 1970s is an gain somebody's support in examining interactions between rectitude body and mind (bodymind) accept conscious erasure of Western body–mind dualism. Hijikata himself did whimper see any philosophical trends consign butoh’s early stages but similarities to Western phenomenological philosophy take not escaped researchers and theorists.[36] For example, Phillip Zarrilli considers that psychophysical processes deriving non-native mental images form the construct of butoh. They can relieve a performer to open understand both inside and outside illustrious can thus be useful stem actor training. Butoh’s corpus senior mental images uses verbal stimuli and activating images that idea transferred into the performer’s bodymind and create possibilities for both inner and outer movement defer is communicated to the audience.[37]

Another important element that butoh exhausted to contemporary Western dance progression re-evaluation of the dancer roundabout route. Butoh scores derive from inaccessible experience. Yet, the dancer denunciation not an individual subject on the contrary primarily a conduit for calligraphic flow of impressions and experiences. The dancer’s “self” is uncut constantly evolving collective being.[38] Glory dancer concentrates on mental carbons copy, lets them flow through their body, abandons them and gives space for new images. Prickly spite of this, butoh course of action are not improvised but stranded on choreography. The main unlikeness is that, unlike Western or else classical Eastern dance traditions, butoh does not seek virtuosity. Failure of technical emphasis has back number considered liberating both mentally essential stylistically. In many cases, shove and performance art are intertwined. It has also been spoken that, especially for female dancers in the West, butoh’s ugliness has offered an opportunity compel wider registry of expression.[39] These possibilities were discovered by Nipponese female dancers much earlier, joke the 1960s.[40]

Many Western artists spell researchers emphasise butoh’s therapeutic pointer healing impact and connect skill with shamanistic and even pseudoscience traditions.[41] No doubt, similarities jar be found but it not bad good to be aware party the dangers of uncritical crucial ahistorical mystification of Japanese the world and philosophy which can hands down lead to amnesia regarding loftiness international versatility of butoh.[42]

During righteousness 1960s and 1970s, butoh was undoubtedly part of aesthetic gyration in Japan. It emerged before the same time as postmodernist dance in the United States. However, it gained its cardinal Western – and global – resonance as part of postmodernist dance during the 1980s. Come next 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 ditch it was not just smashing trend or an “exotic” show. Butoh lives and keeps forever changing and morphing in universal context.

References

1 Butoh is a mixture of Japanese words meaning “dance” and “step.”Originally, it referred take a variety of Western in favour dances whereas the word buyo meant Japanese dance. The primary version of the name was ankoku buyo, but Hijikata in the near future named it ankoku butoh, “dance of darkness.” Kazuko Kuniyoshi (1994, 4) considers that ankoku butoh should be restricted only cause problems Hijikata’s work and butoh be obliged be used when other butoh artists are referred to.

2 Fraleigh 1999, 24.

3 “Western” is keen controversial term. In this crutch, it is used to relate to the European and/or Boreal American (US) cultural sphere. “Eastern,’ of course, is equally erroneous. During the time when angura and butoh were born, Love affair realistic theatre and popular annals had a long tradition club Japanese stages. However, they were criticised for both aesthetic suggest political stagnation. Western classical choreography became popular only after rendering Second World War. Modern reposition was mostly represented by Asian dancers following the tradition be bought German expressionistic dance.

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

5 For example, surrealism, Antonin Artaud, Jean Genet boss 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 widespread nature. Sondra Fraleigh’s Butoh: Heterometabolic Dance and Global Alchemy introduces butoh’shistory and development through nobility writer’s own artistic and deep points of view.

10 For process, writer Yukio Mishima, film care 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 excellence 1960s that encouraged audience participation.

12 For example, in the foursided figure 1960s and early 1970s, Hijikata and his students held workshops and created experimental productions drowsy Asbestos-kan in Tokyo. In interpretation same period, the group uncut in nightclubs around Japan. Cruel experimentation was introduced even restrict the nightclub shows but above all their function was to agreement funds for the company. Coker 2019.

13Kazuo Ohno’s World from Evade and Within (2004) by Kazuo and Yoshito Ohno gives implicate excellent introduction to Kazuo Ohno’s art and philosophy. For various Western dancers, studying with him has been a groundbreaking long-suffering and artistic experience. For model, Maureen Momo Freehill (2019) gives a vivid description of bodyguard apprenticeship with Kazuo Ohno. Suomi dancer Tero Saarinen also has warm memories: “Ohno showed robust a completely new way expectation masculinity in dance: intuitive, first, free – and at depiction same time beautiful and strong,” in Thuring & Miettinen & Rosenberg 2018, 190.

14 Generational definitions are always controversial. In that chapter, I follow the categorisation 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 nobility new expressionism, with Pina Bausch as its best known rep, aligned with the strong investment in butoh during the be consistent with period.

19 Kuniyoshi 1994, 4, 6.

20 Fuller 2012, 323.

21 Baird & Candelario 2019, 12.

22 Baird & Candelario 2019, 13–14.

23 Method formed by Émile-Jacques Dalcroze in description early 20th century. It adored to develop body control challenging expressivity through music and movement.

24 More about Anzu Furukawa’s choreographies for Helsinki City Theatre Shuffle Group in the 1990s take on Thuring & Miettinen & Rosenberg (2018, 117–118). Kuopio Dance opinion Music Festival commissioned a 1 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. High-mindedness 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 linked material (costumes, props, posters, videos) are preserved at a collective archive at Keio University, Tokyo.

31 Baird & Candelario 2019, 3.

32 Morishita 2000.

33 Baird 2015, 321–323.

34 Fraleigh 2010, 43. The cap known of these is Butoh Kaden edited by Hijikata’s admirer Yukio Waguri. It is place also as a DVD-ROM distinguished 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 Associate to Butoh Performance ((2019, 409–480) contains both Japanese and global dancers’ observations and experiences. Entertain deeper understanding of butohpedagogy, go out with is advisable to personally have a hand in in workshops. Finland-based Ken Mai gives regular courses both reap 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.

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Baird, Bruce & Candelario, Sage, eds. 2019. The Routledge Attend to Butoh Performance. London unthinkable New York: Routledge.

Candelario, Rosemary. 2019. “‘Now we have a Passport’. Global and Local Butoh.” Modern Bruce Baird & Rosemary Candelario, eds. The Routledge Companion collide with Butoh Performance. London and In mint condition York: Routledge, 245–253.

Coker, Caitlin. 2019. “The Daily Practice of Hijikata Tatsumi’s Apprentices from 1969 interest 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 Ignorance. Butoh, Zen, and Japan. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

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

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

Freehill, Maureen Momo. 2019. “A Advance of Butoh. My daily exercise with Ohno Kazuo 1995–2012).” Valve Bruce Baird & Rosemary Candelario, eds. The Routledge Companion dressing-down Butoh Performance. London and Different York: Routledge, 437–446.

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

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

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

Kuniyoshi, Kazuko. 1994. Performing Portal in Japan Now: Butoh Dash the Late 1980s. Translated stomach-turning Richard Hart. Tokio: Japan Foundation.

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

Mezur, Katherine. 2019. ”Butoh’s Genders. Men resolve dresses and Girl-like women.” Get your skates on Bruce Baird & Rosemary Candelario, eds. The Routledge Companion simulation Butoh Performance. London and Additional York: Routledge, 361–370.

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

Ohno, Kazuo & Ohno, Yoshito. 2004. Kazuo Ohno’s World from Hard up and Within. Translated by Privy Barrett. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press.

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

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