
1989
The dark sensibilities and cultural resonances of Butoh, the radical Japanese dance movement, are explored in this multilayered work. Profoundly rooted in both traditional and contemporary Japanese culture, Butoh arose in a spirit of revolt in the early 1960s. Characterized by frank sexuality and bodily distortions, Butoh transforms traditional dance movements into new forms, stripping away the taboos of contemporary Japanese culture to reveal a secret world of darkness and irrationality.

Tatsumi Hijikata
Himself

Kazuo Ohno
Himself

The Masseurs

Butoh: Piercing the Mask

The Naked Summer

The Body, The Expression of a Creature’s True Nature

The Story of a Tree

Kazuo Ohno: Beauty and Strength

Flowerbird Butoh: A Way of Life

Dandy

Rose Color Dance

A Summer Storm: Butoh of Dark Spirit School

Just Visiting This Planet

Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis

Kazuo Ohno: I Dance Into the Light

Cherry Blossoms

Navel and A-Bomb

Casting a Light on the Dance of Darkness

Horrors of Malformed Men

XXL

Gloss of Darkness

Flesh, Board, and Nails