While practicing we share a unique way of dancing. Regardless of the role you take during BIG your body is an important master for all of us. Each one brings its own understanding, a different experience and a singular point of view. Through this diverse mix we learn and deepen our own knowledge and breadth of vision, not only while we dance, but also in the conversations that take place as we share our daily lives.
As a fundamental part of the programme of activities, we will have the proposals of eight internationally renowned choreographers. Eight different points of view on what butoh is, how to practice it and how to bring it on stage.
YUMIKO YOSHIOKA – JAPAN/BERLIN
Yumiko Yoshioka is a Japanese Butoh dancer and choreographer. Yumiko is a former member of Ariadone, the first female Butoh company, which was founded by Ko Murobushi and Carlotta Ikeda in 1973. In 1989 she started to develop and teach her own form of bodywork. The approach became a pillar of her career as a reflection of her profound understanding of the importance of deepening consciousness of the body, not only in order to dance and express, but also to illuminate our daily life, opening ourselves to the deeper layers of our inner world and rediscovering a subtle beauty in each moment. The strength of this perception led her to create her own method of bodywork, called “Body Resonance”
www.yumiko-yoshioka.com
ATSUSHI TAKENOUCHI – JAPAN/ITALY
Butoh dancer, choreographer
Joined butoh dance company “Hoppo-Butoh-ha” in Hokkaido in 1980. His last performance with the company was worked on by butoh-founder Tatsumi Hijikata. Started his own “Jinen Butoh” since 1986 as a universal expression of nature, earth, and ancient times and impressions of the moment. Made 3years “JINEN” tour project throughout Japan for 600 site specific improvisations (1996-1999). Around this time, he learned spirit of the universe of Kazuo Ohno and Yoshito Ohno. Since 2002, based in Europe, working on solo Butoh and collaboration project with dancers and actors, with giving workshop internationally. Since 2015, he has started long term JINEN Butoh school in Pontedera in Italy.
SLAVA INOZEMECEV – BELARUS
is the creator and permanent director of the Physical Theater “InJest” (until 2001 – the Theater-studio of pantomime “Jest”(“Gesture”), the author and director of all theater productions – about 100 (from 1981). He worked more than 40 years as a mime, actor, director, theater teacher, choreographer in drama theaters and movie. A founder and Art Director of the International Physical Theater Festival “PlaStforma” in Minsk (2013-2021). From 1995 he teaches in the studio at the “InJest” Theater in Minsk, conducts workshops abroad according to his own original method “Dances of Animals”, which combines actor psychophysical training, pantomime, improvisation, Butoh dance.
Joined Butoh festival “Ex…it!99” as choreographer, teacher and dancer, and after that – many projects of “Ten Pen Chi art labor” in 2000-2013 by leading of Yumiko Yoshioka and Joachim Manger.
www.inzhest.belorus.by
EUGENIA VARGAS – MEXICO
Dancer, choreographer, researcher, manager and teacher. She is the founder and director of the Laboratorio Escénico Danza Teatro Ritual, a space that has served as an incubator for dance and interdisciplinary projects, as well as for artistic residencies and training spaces, from which several generations of artists have emerged or have been influenced.
Her research within butoh has led her to explore sensations as a threshold for the creation of a training focused on the development of nervous sensitivity and the body in becoming, based on energy and its multiple qualities.
TAKETERU KUDO – JAPAN/BERLIN
He graduated from the department of French literature at Keio University,
In the United States he studied under Koichi Tamano and in 1992, after appearing in the works of Yukio Waguri (a disciple of Tatsumi Hijikata), he began his career as a soloist. He founded his own company Tokyo Gien-kan.
He was a member of Sankai Juku from 1995 to 1998. In 2005 she received the Japanese Dance Critic Association award for her solo work in “Akimegusa”. She also won the Golden Mask Award in Russia for her performance in the lead role of “Full Moon” in 2011-2013.
NATSUKO KONO – JAPAN/GERMANY
Dancer, Dance Teacher and Choreographer
Born1975 and grew up in Kobe, Japan
Studied Performing Arts, Dance at the Birkbeck University of London
Worked with Butoh Artists Yumiko Yoshioka, Katsura Kan, Tadashi Endo, Fran Barbe in their dance productions and in an Opera by Doris Dörrie. She performed as a solo artist at Paris Butoh Festival, Dublin Butoh Festival, Moving Bodies Festival and many more.
Ran Butoh Academy in Novi Sad, Serbia 2013-2015
Invited for Butoh workshops held in England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, Serbia, Romania and Japan
Has lived and worked in Berlin/Rügen since 2015
Founded ‘Butoh Initiative’ in 2016 as a long-term training project in Berlin
www.natsuko-kono.wix.com/urbanbutoh
JONATHAN MARTINEAU – CANADA/SPAIN
Philosopher and movement researcher, codirector and teacher in Aula Nostra · Innate butoh formation (www.aulanostra.com).
The translation of his doctoral thesis Shadows of justice · Political consequences of a nascent conception of being to corporal practices has given light to the butosophy. Butosophy merges philosophy and movement. It intends to develop a way of thinking that is not based on the fiction of stillness and substance and therefore does not understand the individual as an alien entity to the space where it evolves.
Jonathan regularly imparts Art of birth · Seminars of butosophy and has published articles and presented papers around what he calls nascent thought as a praxis of movement, collected in www.butosofia.com.
UIKO WATANABE – JAPAN/FRANCE
Born in Kanagawa Japan. She stared classic ballet age of 4, Furthermore, she experienced Butoh when she was 19 years old in Japan. She participated school in Holland SNDO (Amsterdam) and EDDC (Arhem). She moved in Brussels in 2001. Danced with several choreographers. She also works as actress for the theater and film world since several years in Belgium.
She gives her workshops of Butoh regularly.
In 2008, she created “La Pièce avec des Légumes”, “La Pièce avec les gateaux” in 2009, “la derniere scene” in 2010( The piece had nominated of the best dance spectacle in Belgium). “Hako Onna” in 2012. She started her own company and continued to produce works subsidized by the Belgian government.
In June 2015, she had presented her new creation “Oshiire (closet)” in Brussels and Charleroi (the piece had nominated of the best dance spectacle in Belgium).
Her new creation “Hikidashi (drawer)” is scheduled to be presented in 2024.