Kolkata festival to showcase Japanese performance art Butoh

Showcasing the Japanese performance art 'Butoh', the second Kolkata International Butoh Festival 2017 will kick off here on January 6 with the aim to connect audiences with the rebellious dance form that allows the body to speak for itself.

Often viewed as grotesque for the peculiar trance-like movements on bent legs with eyes rolled-up, the radical movement and dance form, originated in Japan as a response to the despair of the aftermath of the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, organisers said.

"Butoh's aesthetics are totally different to what is considered aesthetic in India. This year , we have with us Rhizome Lee, a Butoh Master, born and trained in Japan, who is also the founder and director of the Subbody Butoh School, in Dharmasala," a member of the platform Culture Monks told IANS.

Culture Monks is an interdisciplinary, cross cultural platform of artists, academicians and professionals.

Butoh loosely translates into earth dance or stomp dance.

Founded by young rebellious modern dancers Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno, it encourages practitioners to tap into and find the gestures and movements hidden behind conditioned behaviour.

Running till January 19, the festival also includes performances which explore unknown and known spaces and art and photography exhibitions inspired by Butoh.

--IANS

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