Butoh is back in bangkok

Butoh is back in bangkok

Power of women inspires Japanese dance festival

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Butoh is back in bangkok

After taking last year off, the International Butoh Festival will return to Bangkok for the eighth time tomorrow. The event is organised by B-Floor Theatre, Butoh Co-op Thailand and Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. This year's theme is "Butoh Women" and the festival will feature workshops and performances by several Thai and international artists.

Bo Kittiphon during her butoh performance Whispers Of The Shadow Of A Quivering Leaf .

"This year's theme focuses on women artists because it is the eighth festival," says festival director Terry Hatfeild. "The number eight represents infinity, and women are the link to infinity because they are essential to the continuation of our species. We want to celebrate the contribution of women to our society through butoh. Women are often under-represented in all fields of work."

Butoh, originated by Japanese dance legends Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno, is a movement practise and performing art that began in post-World War II Japan in reaction to cultural influences from the West. Although there is no fixed style, its technique typically involves bizarre imagery, taboo issues and absurd environments. Traditionally, performers wear white body make-up.

Butoh is beginning to garner more attention from Thai audiences. Earlier this year, Teerawat Mulvilai used butoh in his show, San Dan Ka, which won several awards at this year's Bangkok Theatre Festival, including Best Movement-Based Performance and Best Ensemble.

"The butoh festival began in 2005," explains Hatfelid. "I had worked on the San Francisco Butoh Festival for nine years previously. I modelled [the Thai] festival on the San Francisco Butoh Festival, offering butoh performances, workshops and symposiums. The goal was to create an international network of artists. With encouragement from my mentors and friends, the festival was reborn in Thailand."

The festival will kick off with workshops by Thai artist Bo Kittiphon on Dec 6, Japanese artist Yuko Kawamoto on Dec 7 and French artist Sylvie Bruzeau on Dec 8.

The following weekend will feature four performances, which are collaborations of four artists from four different countries _ Jump Jump Jump by Yuko Kawamoto (Dec 13 and Dec 15 at 7pm) and Meta-Morphos-Is by Sylvie Bruzeau (Dec 14 at 7pm, Dec 15 at 3pm).

Shows from Thai artists include Sasapin Siriwanij's Womanities (Dec 15 at 3pm and 7pm) and Bo Kittiphon's Whispers Of The Shadow Of A Quivering Leaf (Dec 14 at 7pm and Dec 15 at 3pm).

All events will take place at the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre.

Tickets for workshops cost 1,000 baht.

Tickets for performances cost 600 baht (400 baht for students).

E-mail bkkbutoh@yahoo.com or call 085-160-1677.

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