Somatic Butoh

Module 1

Feb 22-23, 2025 | The entrance: "Subtle Body - Subtle Space"

• The somatic realm in butoh is located beneath the surface of “verbality”, cultural influences and the mind's mechanism and triggers
• In butoh, we can recognize a bodily new consciousness focused not on how the body will look or will be seen but on how it is felt and moved. In this immersive in-depth listening
• the usual “ executers” muscles, (: “ Do this”; “Do that”; “Go from A to B” etc...)  will be explored in a different way than in the “efficient” daily life.
• Then the “unnoticed” will emerge between voluntary and involuntary and a different body and response will emerge.
• In this research, the body will be scanned and deconstructed and a new subtle body will emerge. This initial journey is the entrance.

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Module 2

Mar 28-30, 2025 | Discontinuum/Continuum - "ity"

• Time exists as a concept made by humans to be able to meet on time, at a certain point, go to work and meet punctually.
• What is this time in the somatic body is different, it is something else.
• Time in butoh is a “continuum of discontinuous moments” (Hijikata Tatsumi)
• “To live fully each moment, from beginning to end is the work of butoh” (Yoshito Ohno)
• Listening to the bodily, and sensorial, at how the body feels and finds itself in this Continnum 's moment is what will be explored in this module.
• The shift from Continuum to Continuum/Discontinuum Continuity is a contradistinction of Asian performativity and butoh.

Zentrum für Yoga & Stimme, backbuilding, 2nd backyard, 4th floor

Module 3

May 03 - 04, 2025 | Basics 1

• Every form of dance has its own “ Kihon”.
• Kihon is a Japanese term which stands for “Basics” or “Fundamentals”. This term used a lot in Japanese Martial Arts, refers to a series of techniques constantly practised with a dedication which constitutes the Foundation of what is called “Body/ 体  or 空立   “Empty Existence”.
• Learning these basics is not only a matter of outer posture but inner attitude, alignment and somatic attuning; a consequential change of Attitude and Mind-Setting.

Zentrum für Yoga & Stimme, backbuilding, 2nd backyard, 3rd floor

Module 4

May 31 - Jun 01, 2025 | Basics 2

• Learning the basics of Butoh is crucial.
• This prerogative is common to all forms of dance.
• In this module, the students will observe how would be possible to move from the creation of a new extraordinary body, body posture, and basics to other basics within a subtle body in a continuum-ity of discontinuous moments. Another question that will be emerging will be Kihon/Form versus mastering the Kihon/Form to welcome the “dance” to take the body and let it be moved.
• “Moving” and “Being moved” will be the topic, the challenge and this module's somatic research.

Zentrum für Yoga & Stimme, backbuilding, 2nd backyard, 3rd floor

Module 5

Jun 30 - Jul 04, 2025

part 1 | Metamorphosis: The Inner/Outer Connection

• Embodiment is one of the main features of the so-called art of “Butoh”
• What is it? How can we access this, in a somatic way? How can we feel that the metamorphosis is happening internally but also externally?
• how can we avoid having a somatic work without any actual bodily change?
• In other words, how do we handle the embodiment practices in Butoh and make sure that something is changing from within to without, so that, also from outside, the change is visible and tangible, instead of swimming in an internal swimming pool, isolated and disconnected from-to the outer world

• After a brief review of the past modules, the content will follow the applications, the combination and the improvisation of everything done previously. And somatic choreographic examples with a final demonstration will be blooming.

Somatische Akademie, site building, 1st backyard, 4th floor