Butoh, dance of transformation

Just as you can read the age of a tree from the rings in a tree trunk, you can 'read' a life in a human body. The body is a living and ever transforming sculpture, shaped by life itself. Butoh is a dance of transformation that originates from the friction between opponent forces. The Butoh dancer knows how to connect with this energy and to move with it - be moved by it. What evolves is authentic expression and original being.

In 2016, Butoh came my way rather by chance (if such a thing exists). I was not feeling good at that time. Through Butoh I was able to find the connection with myself and my body. I realised how much my attention was in the outside world and how difficult it was to stay with myself without fear of judgment. The Butoh microbe has not let go of me since then. I chose this path.

Shaped by the movement practice and philosophy of Butoh, my lessons emphasize the vulnerability of the performer and the quality of being present. Nature is our greatest source of inspiration. Students learn to look beyond form and move from within. They experience the power of grounded movements without effort and the beauty hidden in slowness and non-doing. In “Moving with your inner flower” I delve deeper into the friction between inner strength and outer vulnerability and we connect with the blooming power within ourselves to eventually shine on stage.

I followed training with Iwana Masaki, Vangeline and The New York Butoh Institute and Motoya Kondo. In 2019 I went to Tokyo where I took lessons with Sensei Yoshito Ohno. I focused on self-study and started learning Japanese. In 2022, together with Quentin Chaveriat, I started the weekly Butoh Lab in Brussels. In the meantime, I also give Butoh initiation to students in Dance and Theater (including Kunsthumaniora Laken, Conservatorium Antwerp).

Practical information about the weekly Butoh Lab Brussels

  • Tictac Art Centre, Small Studio (www.tictacartcentre.com)

  • Every Tuesday, 18h30 - 21h

  • free price, min 15€ per Lab, 10x fidelity card for 120€ min

  • Contact : butofamilia@gmail.com (no registration needed, come on time and pay after class)

  • credits picture: Performance Buto Familia @ Crude Saturday, Tictac Art Centre, June 17 2023, picture by Irene Occiato.