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Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis

"Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis" is a visually striking film portrait shot on location in Japan with the participation of the major Butoh choreographers and their companies. Although Butoh is often viewed as Japan's equivalent of modern dance, in actuality it has little to do with the rational principles of modernism. Butoh is a theater of improvisation which places the personal experiences of the dancer on center-stage. By reestablishing the ancient Japanese connection of dance, music, and masks, and by recalling the Buddhist death dances of rural Japan, Butoh incorporates much traditional theater. At the same time, it is a movement of resistance against the abandonment of traditional culture to a highly organized consumer-oriented society.

Top Cast

  • Yoko Ashikawa

    Yoko Ashikawa

    Herself - Interviewee

  • Akiko Motofuji

    Akiko Motofuji

    Herself - Interviewee

  • Nario Goda

    Nario Goda

    Himself

  • Tatsumi Hijikata

    Tatsumi Hijikata

    Himself

  • Yukio Waguri

    Yukio Waguri

    Himself

  • Akaji Maro

    Akaji Maro

    Himself

  • Natsu Nakajima

    Natsu Nakajima

    Herself

  • Sanae Hiruta

    Sanae Hiruta

    Herself

  • Kazuo Ohno

    Kazuo Ohno

    Himself

Overview

"Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis" is a visually striking film portrait shot on location in Japan with the participation of the major Butoh choreographers and their companies. Although Butoh is often viewed as Japan's equivalent of modern dance, in actuality it has little to do with the rational principles of modernism. Butoh is a theater of improvisation which places the personal experiences of the dancer on center-stage. By reestablishing the ancient Japanese connection of dance, music, and masks, and by recalling the Buddhist death dances of rural Japan, Butoh incorporates much traditional theater. At the same time, it is a movement of resistance against the abandonment of traditional culture to a highly organized consumer-oriented society.

Rating

8.0 / 10
2 Reviews
1 Popular

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