Butoh sensory engagement with visual art and live music
Butoh-Fu
A unique method of notation for Butoh Choreography
One of the key elements of Butoh-Fu is the Imaginative Space
Words are used to conjure and manage the physical and emotional landscape of a performance
Hijikata‘s visual method of using paintings as sources allow dancers to draw from rich visual context bridging two dimensional art with the dynamic nature Butoh
Rei Rei (Rachael K) 2024 Butoh performance was inspired by Kelsey Ashe screen prints. When Kelsey invited Rei Rei to bring her Butoh group to perform for opening night she was thrilled!
Instead of hiring and training Butoh performers it felt more intuitive for Rei Rei to invite Kelsey to perform Butoh as a wellness part to the preparation pre show and a way to culminate all the hard work into a cathartic movement installation performed in front of an epic screen prints on scrolls
The costume designer Molly - Rei Rei calls her Hope - was also invited to perform Butoh. As a trio they explored and collaborated on the beach - a favourite site for sensory experiences.
Sensory engagement
The practice emphasises the need to heighten bodily awareness and emotional sensitivity allowing performers to engage deeply with the themes presented in the choreography.
Our somatosensory system is a huge network of nerve endings. This controls how we perceive sensations such as touch.
Our urban busy modern lives mean we are subject to excessive sensory input.
By dancing the imagery in Butoh we are enveloping ourselves in unconscious neural patterns that can be tapped into with words that relate to our sense of touch and awaken the memory of our sensations
This awakening can offer profound emotional and psychological transformations. These site specific somatic butoh experiences can lead to increased trust, confidence, and feelings of wellness- enhancing body awareness, which is linked to better Emotional regulation resilience and management of pain.
Love Rei Rei
Dark Morning Butoh Theatre
@rachkutsik_wellpreneur IG
Images courtesy Luka Michelle Griffin
Molly, Rachael ‘Rei Rei’ and Kelsey rehearsing at the beach for Saturdays encore Butoh performance The Mirage of the Anchorites by Rei Reis Dark Morning Butoh Theatre 18.01.25
