Butoh
1984-2006








In 1984, Butoh group Sankai Juku visited the United States as part of the Los Angeles Olympics Arts Festival. Sadly, one of their troup fell to his death that summer during a performance in which they hang from ropes by the feet. Shortly thereafter I was invited by a friend who interned at the Boston Phoenix to see the group perform at the Orpheum in Boston. It was the show in which they dance with a live peacock on stage, utterly breath-taking staging. The organisation Dance Umbrella continued to bring Butoh artists to Boston in the late 80's. I saw a dazzling performance by Dai Rakudakan and a gorgeous dance called The Dead Sea by Butoh founder Kazuo Ohno and his son, probably in 1985 or 86. I have taken any chance I have had to see Sankai Juku and I think I've seen all their US tours since 1985. It is like meeting again with a guru, someone who has taught you much about life, the body and spirit. And I am not a ready guru follower.

San Francisco held a Butoh Festival for several years in the 1990's, and as I lived there was able to see many performances as well as participate in some workshops and classes. The greatest experience of these was a series of classes with Akira Kasai, who has been dancing since the 60's and was a part of co-founder Tatsumi Hijikata's famous ensemble. I met an American student of butoh at the SF festival, Maureen Freehill, whose Japan Foundation grant allowed her to study in Japan, and she invited me to visit Tokyo to see the Butoh World up close. I attended a class at Kazuo Ohno's home in Yokohama and saw him perform in Tokyo. I wrote about that trip for a magazine called Art Papers.

The SF Butoh Festival has stopped its activities for the time being. The marvelous duo of Harupin-Ha continue to teach in Berkeley and run their sushi restaurant in the Mission. I have moved to Los Angeles. Sankai Juku stopped at UCLA in November and presented another beautiful mirror. The World keeps turning.