Discovering Butoh

Butoh first came to my attention as I was looking through a list of more than a hundred Chicago Dance Month (continuing through May 3) events.  I was immediately intrigued by the costumes, makeup, and poses in the photo (shown below) accompanying the event synopsis.  All the details fit with my schedule:  location (Chicago Cultural Center), date (April 19), time (6:30 p.m.), and cost (free).  I would soon be going to see my first butoh performances!

Hiroko and Koichi Tamano performing butoh

Baroness's Rosé performing "Pale Saints" ("Spring") as part of SSII: Post Butoh Festival at the Chicago Cultural Center in Chicago, Illinois What is butoh, you ask?  I had the same question!  Per merriam-webster.com, butoh is "a form of dance or performance art of Japanese origin typically involving slow movement and often white makeup."  Other searches informed that Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno founded the butoh movement in the late 1950s in post-World War II era Japan.

Each performance I witnessed was uniquely creative and expressive.

In Baroness’s "Pale Saints" ("Spring"), Rosé was the only artist of the evening to use spoken word as part of a performance.  Hanna Brock enhanced the performance with her electrified viola accompaniment and electronic sound effects.

Hanna Brock performing in "Pale Saints" ("Spring") as part of SSII: Post Butoh Festival at the Chicago Cultural Center in Chicago, Illinois The athleticism, strength, and concentration demonstrated by Maki Shinagawa in “Katsu Katsu Katsu” were impressive.  Throughout her performance, she executed slow, controlled arm and finger movements (many over her head) while maintaining dramatic facial expressions.

In “White Screen,” Michael Sakamoto and Waewdao Sirisook contrasted, not only in his black and her red clothing, but also in their facial expressions.  Waewdao maintained a pleasant smile throughout while Michael fluttered his eyelashes, rolled his eyes, and contorted his face into a maniacal smile accentuated with red lipstick.  The performance was indeed memorable.

Maki Shinagawa performing Katsu Katsu Katsu as part of SSII: Post Butoh Festival at the Chicago Cultural Center in Chicago, Illinois Ginger Krebs, Carole McCurdy, and Sara Zalek’s "Overcast" was the first performance where I created my own story of the scene playing out before my eyes.  I imagined these three women in a hospital, under heavy medication, each living in their own minds, only slightly aware of those around them.

The last performance of the evening, "Moon Rabbit," was performed by Koichi and Hiroko Tamano.  This was a special treat for audience members because both Koichi and Hiroko studied with Tatsumi Hijikata, Koichi from 1965 to 1972, and Hiroko in 1972.  The music, composed by Japanese artist Yasukazu Sato, was an integral part of the performance, as its changes seemed to match the different stages of the story perfectly.

To learn about upcoming butoh classes and events in the Chicago area, please visit Butoh Chicago online.