INVISIBLE FORCES

FORCES 

“There is an entire universe inside my body,” said Kazuo Ohno. 

For a choreographer, the body is the primary instrument for artistic research and expression. 

The perfect butoh body is an empty container to be filled and moved by forces, conditions, and imagination. What if everything inside and outside of the body were an active force? These forces work on macro- and micro-cosmic levels, shifting balance, intention, and anatomy. Some forces work together, coordinating to generate movement. For example, the endocrine system interacts with the gastrointestinal system to control digestion and metabolism. Other forces vie for control over the human vessel. An autoimmune disorder occurs when a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks their body. There are around 80 different autoimmune disorders ranging in severity from mild to disabling, depending on which body system is under attack and to what degree.

Ohno’s prescription for universal awareness opens doors to elemental concepts of physics, biology, psychology, evolution, and all parts of the great cosmos, including mundane existence. After extensive intellectual and physical research learning everything there is to know about any subject, “Forget it all,” as Tatsumi Hijikata says, and find the immediate visceral connection to the essence of glacier, tree, wind, worm, or bird. Dancers must respond to multiple levels of information, from alterations in the space-time continuum to inward research involving intuition, sensations, and memories of evolution. Therefore expansive awareness of body, mind, and feelings is necessary during performance.

Physicists define four fundamental forces in nature: Strong Nuclear, Electromagnetic, Weak Nuclear, and Gravity (from strongest to weakest). The strong and weak nuclear forces are responsible for subatomic interactions between particles. Electrical charges produce magnetic fields which affect space and time. Gravity acts between masses to alter the shape of space-time into a curve. Despite being the weakest force, gravity works across infinite distances, making it responsible for the universe’s structure. 

Of the four atomic interactions, gravity is the most physically felt and interacted with by humans daily. Gravitation was the first interaction to be described mathematically. In ancient times, Aristotle hypothesized that objects of different masses fall at different rates. During the Scientific Revolution, Galileo Galilei experimentally determined that all objects accelerate toward the Earth at the same rate. Isaac Newton’s law of Universal Gravitation (1687) was a good approximation of its behavior. Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity of 1915 is a more accurate description of gravitation in terms of spacetime geometry.

From birth, we learn to work with gravity. When we fall out of the sac that housed us for 9 months as a lump of flesh with soft, flexible bones, we are glued like squishy mud to the earth. Gradually, we dry out and our form distinguishes itself. We lift our heads and arms, caress our feet, our eyes see beyond, and we feel the urge to explore. We roll over, push our bellies away from the earth, and crawl. We build strength and learn to stand and walk. Walking combines falling and pushing away or recovering from the fall. As dancers, we break down and develop the different parts of the walk starting very slowly, feeling the simple weight shift from one foot to the other. How does the body react to the weight shifts and the relationship to gravity?

Gravitation is by far the weakest of the four interactions at the atomic level, where electromagnetic interactions dominate. Gravity is relevant for large mass, planet-sized objects and over expansive distances for several reasons.

  • It is the only interaction that acts on all particles having mass, energy, and momentum
  • It has an infinite range, like electromagnetism but unlike strong and weak nuclear interactions
  • It cannot be absorbed, transformed, or shielded against
  • It always attracts and never repels

Even though electromagnetism is far stronger than gravitation, electrostatic attraction is not relevant for large celestial bodies, such as planets, stars, and galaxies, because these bodies contain equal numbers of protons and electrons and so have a net electric charge of zero. Nothing “cancels” gravity, since it is only attractive, unlike electric forces which can be attractive or repulsive. On the other hand, all objects having mass are subject to the gravitational force, which only attracts. Therefore, only gravitation matters in the large-scale structure of the universe.

The long range of gravitation makes it responsible for such wide-ranging phenomena as the structure of galaxies and black holes; it retards the expansion of the universe. Gravitation also explains astronomical phenomena on more modest scales, such as planetary orbits, and everyday experience: objects fall; heavy objects act as if glued to the ground, and animals and people can only jump so high.

A 3.7-billion-year-old record of our planet’s ancient magnetism has been unearthed, providing evidence that Earth’s magnetic field already existed very early in history. This discovery, however, is quite surprising. Previously, estimates and hints of the early Earth’s magnetic field have come from individual mineral crystals called zircons found within ancient rocks from Western Australia. These had suggested the existence of a magnetic field 4.2 billion years ago. However, those results were subsequently doubted as unreliable. 

The new results from the Greenland rocks are considered more reliable because, for the first time, they are based on massive iron-bearing rocks (rather than individual mineral crystals) to derive the primordial field strength. Therefore, the sample offers the first solid measure of not only the strength of Earth’s ancient magnetic field but also of the timing of when the magnetic field originally appeared.

The ancient magnetic field perhaps protected the earth during the creation of early life forms shielding them from solar winds and cosmic radiation emitted by the sun. This system helped to form the primordial sea that acted as an incubator of life. Perhaps it was designed by the driving force of DNA to preserve and enhance the evolution of life in any form.  

The weak force is critical for the nuclear fusion reactions that power the sun and produce the energy needed for most life forms here on Earth. It’s also why archaeologists can use carbon-14 to date ancient bone, wood, and other formerly living artifacts. Carbon-14 has six protons and eight neutrons; one neutron decays into a proton to make nitrogen-14, which has seven protons and seven neutrons. This decay happens at a predictable rate, allowing scientists to determine how old such artifacts are.

The strong nuclear force, or interaction, is the most complicated of the fundamental forces, mainly because of its variability with distance. The strong nuclear interaction is the strongest of the four fundamental forces of nature. It binds the elemental particles of matter together to form larger particles. It holds together the quarks that make up protons and neutrons, and part of the strong force also keeps the protons and neutrons of an atom’s nucleus together.

Much like the weak force, the strong force operates only when subatomic particles are extremely close to one another. The strong force behaves oddly, though, because unlike any of the other fundamental forces, it gets weaker as subatomic particles move closer. It reaches maximum strength when the particles are farthest away from each other, according to  https://www.fnal.gov/pub/science/inquiring/questions/strong_force.html  

Earth is moved by visible forces that can have a massive impact on our existence. Planetary rotation, the seismology of the planet’s interior (volcanoes, earthquakes), and plate tectonics mold our earthly environment, creating a space in which we exist. The world and our bodies undergo continuous metamorphosis from nature’s actions: pushing, pulling the weight, compressing and shearing the muscles, faulting, cracking the bones, and melting the flesh. Weather, erosion, and oceanic currents combine to manipulate air and water over the landscape and the skin bag.

Disaster events like hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanos happen often enough that we have learned to prepare for them. Meteorites and other space debris drawn by the ‘weak’ force of gravity bombard our atmosphere and sometimes hit the earth’s surface, creating craters, clouds, and chaos, even destroying entire species, like the dinosaurs.

Viruses can get out of hand; disease can expand from epidemic to pandemic proportions across the globe. In Japan, the Nichitsu chemical factory in Minamata dumped mercury into the sea from 1908 until the 1970s, poisoning the water, the fish, and the people. The Japanese government knew the cause of Minamata disease before 1960 and did nothing to improve the situation. The local population of people who depended on fish was affected, particularly developing fetuses and children. Over two thousand people died, and thousands more experienced crippling injuries.  

Hijikata said, “Butoh is the body pushed into a corner by words and pain.” The force of words is “butoh fu,” an intellectual force acting on the body via the mind, language, and symbolism. Butoh dancers use butoh fu as imagery to inspire dance movements for improvisation and performance. The intellectual force of language with its words, poetic images, symbols, and metaphors, is a diverse subject for study. Hijikata’s writings and his highly developed “butoh-fu” are a rich source for dance. In the creation of personal dance work for the stage, the artist should originate a “butoh fu” for the expression of her ideas and movement themes. 

Sociological forces act on our bodies in potent ways. In early human societies, people were connected by the need for protection, companionship, shelter, and all the benefits of tribal living. Large group activities like hunting, required coordination and often involved dangerous situations where camaraderie meant life or death. Daily tasks like gathering food, firewood, and childcare could also be safer and more efficient when handled en masse. Modern society, the nuclear family, and the digital age have separated us from one another. The expression “It takes a village.” is just an old axiom from our ancestors’ day, not something we are familiar with. We don’t even know who our neighbors are most of the time.

Isolation and alienation of groups and individuals, body image, gender identity, and cultural elitism, all help to define living circumstances. The body becomes molded by life. Work damages the body and soul through redundancy and repetition without creative input. Think of coal miners in West Virginia, gold miners in Africa, and tin miners in Indonesia. In Japan, the Nichitsu chemical factory in Minamata dumped mercury into the sea from 1908 until the 1970s, poisoning the water, the fish, and the people. The Japanese government knew the cause of Minamata disease before 1960 and did nothing to improve the situation.

Our evolutionary path has led us to this moment in time, given us our present physiological condition, and endowed us with a capacity to learn and adapt. The body remembers emotional or physical trauma in the form of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Science is learning more about the body’s capacity to pass down ancestral traumas through generations. Illness and trauma take their toll on the body’s form. Diseases can spread to pandemic proportions forcing more isolation. Exile in the human condition, being pushed to the edge of existence, destroys the ability to feel empathy. History, heredity, DNA, and psychological and physiological conditions act as forces upon our bodies. Politics and religion color our thoughts and ideals adding another layer of coercive action upon our beings.

Each of these forces has a story from the earth, our home on an outer spiraling arm of a galaxy. What a vantage point from which to view looking backward toward in time and space to the “Big Bang”; looking toward the black hole at the center of our Milky Way; seeing beyond to the future of humanity, earth, art, . . . , . . . ?

13 Aspects of Butoh

From SEVER (2022)

13 Aspects of Butoh
Gillum’s 27 years of butoh research have culminated in “13 Aspects of Butoh”. The material has been presented in a lecture-demonstration format in settings such as Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center, Lviv Arts Center in Ukraine, STOA Retreat Center in Śirinçe, Turkey, and an art bar in Tbilisi, Georgia. Julie’s teaching practice and performance are based on this research and writing. The 13 Aspects are listed below, with some interpretation and explanation of their roots. They interweave and overlap with each other but are a way to break down and develop the methods and ideas of butoh.
   
1. Invisible Forces
 — “Butoh is the body forced into a corner by words and pain.” Tatsumi Hijikata
 — “There is an entire universe inside of my body.” Kazuo Ohno 
 — The human anatomy comprises the 4 elements: earth, air, fire, and water.
 — Forces: Physiological, Sociological, Intellectual, Earth, Evolution, Heredity

2. Time: Past, Present, Future, Ma
The butoh dancer’s presence reflects the past, carrying their lives, society, and evolution. The weight of history bears down upon the body molding it through habits, work, age, disease, and injury.     


The present in time speaks to the conditions and environment at the moment of the dance. Through focused meditative perception, the dancer connects to the universe, all that came before, and all that is to be.


The dancer’s metamorphosis is an act that prays for, predicts, or commands a change for the future. The dance, born out of life in all its misery and joy, strives to balance the shadow and the light within the dance, the dancer, and the audience. As the audience leaves the performance to resume their normal time stream, they are transported by the experience of an ephemeral plane, with a subconscious message that leads them into the future. 


Ma is a Japanese aesthetic principle meaning “emptiness” or “absence”. It is the space between objects, the silence between sounds, or the stillness between movements. The term describes both time and space and is much more than a “lack” of something. The emptiness is, in fact, a palpable entity. Ma is the aesthetic of space-time. Think of ma as potential: potential presence, potential sound, potential action.

3. Space: Interior /Exterior — the mind-body-spirit and its relationship to the surrounding environment. 

“The views of space and time which I wish to lay before you have sprung from the soil of experimental physics, and therein lies their strength. They are radical. Henceforth, space by itself, and time by itself, are doomed to fade away into mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two will preserve an independent reality.”
Hermann Minkowski, Address to the 80th Assembly of German Natural Scientists and Physicians, (Sep 21, 1908)

— The Incas regarded space and time as a single concept, named Pacha
— The butoh dancer and everything else in the universe cannot move through space without moving through time. The transformation of the body can alter the perception of space-time for dancers and witnesses alike.
— Other spatial concepts: Geometry, Dimensions (height, width, depth), Directions, Level, Shape /Form, Planes (horizontal, vertical, sagittal)

4. Body Speak “Allow the body to speak for itself. Movement should be derived from the body rather than applied to it. The body teaches itself.” (Tatsumi Hijikata) 
— The composition, function, and actions of the anatomical body

5. The Realm of the Senses 
 – The 54 Senses: https://www.greensong.info/natural-senses 
 – Sight is the most highly developed
 – Smell is the most evocative
 – Synesthesia – This phenomenon is inspiring for artists. Butoh dancers are familiar with exploring synesthesia: translating sound, smell, taste, or visual image into rhythm and form, the “butoh-fu.”
 

Maurice Merleau Ponti, the founder( was an Existentialist philosopher who believed that our bodies are our means of knowing and affecting the world around us; through an “intertwining” or “overlapping”, with no sharp division between the sensing and the sensed. He also said that the artist “lends his body to the world” to create a carnal “icon” of this relationship of “situated embodiment”. Ponti believed that science only describes and measures the structures, forms, and forces in the world from an external place; it cannot embody them. 

6.“Actions from daily life are present in your dance.” Akaji Maru
Daily actions, conditions, and the environment, such as work, weather, age, disability, habits, social conditioning, religion, mental  and emotional states all serve to mold the body.

7. Ghost of Yourself “. . . Vanish your human identity, personality, character; allow the ghost of yourself to appear. . . ” Natsu Nakajima
Esoteric information makes for great “butoh-fu” (poetic imagery designed to elicit an artistic, physiological response in the body instrument) connecting the whole being, engaging the intellect, emotional and primitive consciousnesses.

8. The Facial Mask
In butoh dance, emotion is felt on the inside, but not expressed by the body in conventional ways. The face is a mysterious “mask” which is extremely produced. The idea of the face as a “mask”, allows it to be used as a theatrical convention rather than to just identify the performer. In modern dance, performers often maintain an expression of focused yet relaxed regard for body and audience alike. Contemporary ballet dancers typically have adopted the modern dance demeanor. The story ballets are primarily told through pantomime, elaborate gestures, and illustrative countenance layered on top of a 300-plus-year-old tradition of steps and positions. Jazz, tap, musical theatre, and folk dance allow the performer to directly relate to the audience with personal expressions of individual presence. 

9. “Every dance is a prayer.” Kazuo Ohno
The word prayer comes from the Latin ‘precari” which means to beg, a heartfelt or impassioned plea, to express an ardent desire, a sincere or urgent appeal. Prayer, an act of petition, is engaged in, to stimulate affinity or to consciously communicate with an exalted entity.

Prayer is practiced in groups or as an individual act using words, chants, songs, prescribed movements, or in full silence and stillness. Strict recitations or impromptu monologues can be spoken. There are many reasons for prayer. It can be to give thanks, to ask for direction or assistance with a personal issue, for the benefit of others, to express intimate feelings or soaring ideas, or to confess and beg for forgiveness.

Different forms of prayer are used in most religions; anthropologists believe that early modern humans expressed prayers within their developing primitive cultures using movement and sound rituals and ceremonies.

10. “Dance like a child. . . see the world through a child’s eyes ” Yoshito Ohno 
. . . as if there is no difference or separation between yourself and the world around you, playful, uninhibited, with no learned social or cultural habits or behaviors, open, possessing the ability to assimilate, accommodate, and respond with immediacy . . . DANGEROUS!

11. Gender Fluidity
In 1949, French intellectual Simone de Beauvoir wrote that “no biological, psychological or economic fate determines the figure that the human female presents in “society” and “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,” an idea that was picked up in 1990 by American philosopher Judith Butler, who theorized that gender is not fixed or inherent but is rather a socially defined set of practices and traits that have, over time, grown to become labeled as feminine or masculine. 

An ongoing debate about sex and psychology concerns the extent to which gender identity and gender-specific behavior are due to socialization versus inborn factors. 

Julia Serano notes that masculine girls and women face much less social disapproval than feminine boys and men, which she attributes to sexism. Serano argues that women wanting to be like men is consistent with the idea that maleness is more valued in contemporary culture than femaleness, whereas men being willing to give up masculinity in favor of femininity directly threatens the notion of male superiority as well as the idea that men and women should be opposites. 

12. Accumulation and Release
 — Form and formlessness, phrasing; principles of Japanese aesthetics and Western artistic composition
 — Jo-ha-kyû is a Japanese concept of modulation and movement applied in a variety of traditional Japanese arts, from the tea ceremony to martial arts, from ikebana (flower arranging) to Zen gardening, from Noh theatre to shakuhachi flute music. Roughly translated to “beginning, break, rapid”, it essentially means that all actions or efforts should begin slowly, speed up, and then end swiftly. 
 — Western and Eastern principles of composition, universal patterns in nature, concepts of beauty, art, and culture

13. Essence of the Flower
PRESENCE dwells in the unseen; it is a mysterious ability to question and to know at the same time. There is an uncanny, nonlinear sense of present, past, and future connected in TIME. Presence is similar to, more subtle than (SUB meaning under, beneath) “charisma”. How does a dancer become capable of finding, feeling, communicating /exhibiting PRESENCE?

You must practice your existence in space and time, carrying your body’s weight as a holy vestment. Your royal garment is a cloak of ancestral forest trailing behind you, leaving abandoned hieroglyphic slug trails. You possess the awareness of a JOKE of universal proportions, for example, the “Mona Lisa” smile or the characters painted by Balthus.

We have a body that is adaptable, creative, curious, and perfectly suited for the extreme conditions and challenges of the dance of life on this earth. We humans are capable of connecting to the external world through our senses, interior feelings, subconscious, intellect, and primitive instincts. In other words there are so many sensations to experience and share through the body. Alertness to these stimuli requires PRESENCE.

Performances

Past performances

Seattle Butoh Festival 2023

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DAIPANBUTOH COLLECTIVE

Seattle-based collective group for butoh

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Photograph by Briana Jones.

SEATTLE BUTOH FESTIVAL 2023

November 17 – 19, 2023

YAW Theater, 
6520 5th Ave S, Seattle 98108

Workshops & performances by 

  • Shinichi Iova-Koga (SF/USA)
  • Julie Becton Gillum (NC/USA)
  • DAIPANbutoh Collective members

Performances: November 17, 18, 19: 8 pm

Workshops: November 18 & 19: 11-4 pm

OUR GUEST ARTIST
Shinichi Iova-Koga

Shinichi Iova-Koga serves as the Artistic Director of the physical theater and dance company inkBoat, founded by Shinichi in 1998.  He has toured in North America, Europe, South Korea, and Japan, often collaborating with local artists in museums, theaters, studios, and site-specific locations. He is  the editor of the book “95 Rituals,” a tribute to Anna Halprin, and a contributing writer to “The Routledge Companion to Butoh Performance.” He is featured in the book “Butoh America.” Shinichi teaches annually at ImpulsTanz in Vienna. He has served as a full-time core faculty member of the MFA Dance program at Mills College in Oakland, California, from 2009 to 2017. He has taught Composition in the Arts for MFA students at UC Davis in 2014 and 2022. He has taught workshops at Bath University (U.K.), UC Riverside, UC Berkeley, SF State University, Stanford University, Experimental Theater Wing at NYU/Tisch, Texas Women’s University and others. He co-teaches the workshop “Dance on Land” and multi-month workshops with his wife Dana Iova-Koga. 

Deconstruct the Darkness Workshop Saturday, 11/18: 11-4 pm

Becoming air, ocean, cloud, mountain… manifests uniquely for each individual, arising from the ground that nourishes the dance. The culture and training of each individual infuses Butoh dance with vital new perspectives and flavors. Digging into self-formation ripens the dancer’s transformation process. Physical precision combines with imagistic prompts. Dance through unreasonable terrains. Suspend time. Complex and nuanced forces shape the momentary gesture, the pathway of the eyes. Exercises develop energy-efficient motion and connectivity to build clarity and stability. With this foundation, enter the chaotic stream of life. Become wild. Let go. Enter an unknown world. Build the strength to allow weakness. Dance belongs to mystery.

photo by Vanya Polunin

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OUR GUEST ARTIST

Julie Becton Gillum

Julie Becton Gillum, artistic director of the Asheville Butoh Festival (14 years running), has been creating, performing, and teaching dance in the US, Europe, Asia and Mexico for over 40 years. Since 2019 she has been active in Turkey, Ukraine, Italy, Greece, India and other areas in Europe. Julie has received numerous grants and awards for her choreography. She was awarded the 2008-09 NC Choreography Fellowship and used the funds to travel to Japan to study butoh, her primary form of artistic expression. Julie’s work has been influenced by extensive study with mentors: Mari Osanai, Diego Pinon, Natsu Nakajima, Anzu Furakawa, Yoshito Ohno and Seisaku.

Butoh Workshop  

Sunday, 11/19: 11-4 pm

Gillum’s intention is to introduce Noguchi Taiso as a warm-up and perfect companion to butoh. Both butoh and Noguchi Taiso developed in post-World War ll Japan during the 1950’s and ’60’s. Noguchi Taiso is slow and gentle, great for all bodies. Noguchi Taiso supports all movement possibilities by building a strong rooted core connected to gravity and responsive to both internal and external forces. The Noguchi water body is prepared to move from its most neutral place, in the most natural way, toward the most abstract, precarious, or specific directions possible. Noguchi Taiso has been adopted by many butoh, dance and theatre practitioners in Japan especially for its ability to empty the body of various learned, superficial, and culturally derived patterns of behavior, making it more transparent, aligning it with the more universal forces that are at play.

Fringe Night at the Crow & Quill – Butoh Edition

CrowQuill

Wednesday, July 27 at 8 PM – 11 PM
Crow and Quill
106 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, North Carolina 28801

July 27 marks the next installment of the Summer Fringe Nights at the Crow & Quill. This event will feature three performances by local Butoh masters. These short pieces, each about 15 – 20 minutes in length, represent a variety of Butoh styles and emotions. From the silly to the sublime, the performers present tales of weirdness and woe in various locations within the bar.

Julie Becton Gillum, internationally known dancer and founder of Legacy Butoh, is performing and coordinating this interactive evening which also features Sarah Baird from Anemone Dance Theater, Jenni Cockrell from strangedaughters butoh and Constance Humphries.

The Crow & Quill at 106 N. Lexington has an extraordinary menu of cocktails and an exquisite atmosphere that takes you back in time. Come enjoy the alternate universe with a vintage Whiskey, unique hand crafted cocktail and a Butoh performance.

More information

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! A Technique For Butoh Dance

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In this course, I would like to further develop the material from the original course taught in February, which barely scratched the surface. Several of the participants expressed interest in continuing to explore “A TECHNIQUE FOR BUTOH DANCE.” If you are interested, show up on June 13; if you have questions please contact me. All levels are welcome.

What:  A TECHNIQUE FOR BUTOH DANCE 6 – Week Session
Who:  Taught by Julie Becton Gillum, jbgbutoh@gmail.com, 828 683 1377
When:  Monday Evenings, 6:30 – 8:30 PM,  June 13, 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25
Where: French Broad Studios
475 Fletcher Martin Road,
Alexander, NC 28701
Cost: $100 for entire series OR $20 per session.

Based on exercises and improvisations from Butoh training, Noguchi Gymnastics, and Modern Dance, this course aims to introduce a method for training and preparing the body to dance butoh. Classes will introduce, explore, and develop physical skills and anatomical theories of the body. Graham’s contract/ release theories, Humphrey /Limon’s concepts of fall /recover /rebound /suspend, Cunningham’s isolation and articulation practices, as well as Noguchi’s work with body as a water bag will provide material to assist in developing alignment, control of the center, and balance which are necessary for any dance or theatre performance. We will explore how to shape space through the timing and effort of our own creative energy, applyiing it in  collaboration with gravity, and other physical forces. From the tiniest twitch to fully realized body forms and actions, the purpose of this work is to find the unique expression of your personal interior and exterior corporeal functions.

The Dance of Intimacy – Butoh Workshop

Photo: Audrey Goforth photography – audreygoforthphotography.com

The Dance of Intimacy
Butoh Dance
June 26, 1-5pm
Instructor: Constance Humphries
Cost: $25

In this 4 hour workshop we will practice seeing and being seen through the lens of intimacy. Participants will make the invisible visible, learning more about the vulnerability of the body and mind. Through movement, we will find pathways to explore space, time and place and play with structures for improvising where we can witness and participate. Skills include release techniques and experiential anatomy to better understand the mechanics of the body. Additionally, we will work with patterns, imagery and perspective to create dances that are dynamic and alive in the moment.

Delivered in an approachable atmosphere which enables groups and individuals to develop and practice in a positive and challenging environment of serious play, the workshops are suitable for everyone, including actors, dancers, live/performance artists, musicians and anyone interested in exploring butoh as a means of creative investigation.

All aptitudes and abilities are welcome. No previous experience required. Participants are encouraged to work at their level.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1039337016132852/

10th Asheville Butoh Festival

Yumiko Yoshioka

The 10th Asheville Butoh Festival
April 7-10, 2016
BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce Street, Asheville, NC

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Thursday/Friday, April 7th & 8th – 7:30 pm
Before The Dawn created and performed by Yumiko Yoshioka
General Admission $18, Students and Seniors $15

*This event was generously funded by
Derek Dominy & Denise Carbonell @ The Cotton Mill Studios

Saturday/Sunday, April 9th & 10th – 1:00-5:00 pm
Workshops by Yumiko Yoshioka $40;  $75 for both

Saturday, April 9th – 7:30 pm
Local Color, 
Asheville’s own butoh crew: Sara Baird, Julie B Gillum,
Constance Humphries,
and Julia Taylor
With composers: Elisa Faires and Meghan Mulhearn
General Admission $18, Students and Seniors $15

Sunday, April 10th – 7:30 pm
strange daughters, an evening of solos by Jenni Cockrell 
General Admission $18, Students and Seniors $15

Reservations: BeBe Theatre 828 254 2621
Box Office hours: M – F, 3:00 – 6:00 pm

Produced by Julie Gillum and Asheville Contemporary Dance Theater

Asheville Butoh Festival on Facebook Continue reading “10th Asheville Butoh Festival”

A TECHNIQUE FOR BUTOH DANCE

PHOTO BY SANDEE JOHNSON

A TECHNIQUE FOR BUTOH DANCE    (6-week series) 

Taught by: Julie Becton Gillum

Mondays 6:30-8:30 pm, 2/15 – 3/21, 2016
Where: French Broad Studios, 475 Fletcher Martin Road
Cost: 6-session series is $100 OR $20 per session

Based on exercises and improvisations from Butoh training, Noguchi Gymnastics, and Modern Dance, this course aims to introduce a method for training and preparing the body to dance butoh. Classes will introduce, explore, and develop physical skills and anatomical theories of the body. Graham’s contract/ release theories, Humphrey /Limon’s concepts of fall /recover /rebound /suspend, Cunningham’s isolation and articulation practices, as well as Noguchi’s work with body as a water bag will provide material to assist in developing alignment, control of the center, and balance which are necessary for any dance or theatre performance. We will explore how to shape space through the timing and effort of our own creative energy, applying it in collaboration with gravity, and other physical forces. From the tiniest twitch to fully realized body forms and actions, the purpose of this work is to find the unique expression of your personal interior and exterior corporeal functions.

jbgbutoh@gmail.com
828 683 1377

6-Week Introduction to Butoh

photograph by Sandee Johnson
photograph by Sandee Johnson

BUTOH PRACTICE TIME CHANGED TO MONDAY EVENING!
For those of you who can’t make Sunday Butoh Practice, how about something completely different!

WHAT: 6-Week Introductory Course in Butoh ~ ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME!
INSTIGATOR: Julie B Gillum of Legacy Butoh, jbgbutoh@gmail.com, 828 683 1377
DATES: Mondays – October 5, 12, 19, 26, November 2, & 9
TIME: 6:30 – 8:30 PM
PLACE: French Broad Studios, 475 Fletcher Martin Road, Alexander, NC 28701, http://frenchbroadstudios.com/
COST: $15 per week or $60 for the full 6-Week course

The course will introduce some basic butoh concepts and exercises, along with their roots within the legacy of butoh, as I have learned from my mentors. Ideas include:
* Presence. Practicing one’s own existence in space and time; carrying one´s own body weight.
* Connecting the Inside with the outside while developing a sense of the subtlety and delicacy of space and time between.
* The desublimated body [We stand in between life and death.Decay is the dance of living organisms.  What is the beauty of fading out in dance?] vs the unleashed body [Movement without thinking in search of the body’s unconscious impulses.]
* Sensing. To use all ways of knowing to sense the essence of things. The power of focus in dance. The whole body has eyes.
* The empty body does not move intentionally. It is moved by something unseen.