[What]: Butoh and the Body: A Physical Theater Workshop
[When and Where]: November 5, 2013 at 4:15 in Ryan Studio 209
Butoh is a contemporary Japanese dance form that trains the actor in how to access strong imagery, how to be more grounded and physically rigorous on stage, and how to tap into one’s primal power as a performer. Be prepared to move; bring a journal; and be ready to push yourself physically and imaginatively.
Jeff Janisheski has been involved in Butoh since 1989, when he trained and performed in New York City with Natsu Nakajima and Yukio Waguri – two main dancers in Tatsumi Hijikata’s company. He trained intensively in Japan for three and a half years in both Butoh and Noh. His main teacher was Butoh’s co-creator Kazuo Ohno – who he performed with in 1993 in Yokohama. In 2003 he co-founded the New York International Butoh Festival, which he co-directed until 2007; the NYBF showcased the work of over fifty Butoh-inspired artists from all over the world, including Japan, France, Germany, Sweden, Colombia, Canada and the U.S. Since 1994, he has created numerous dance-theatre pieces fusing Noh, Butoh and Viewpoints (which he trained in with Anne Bogart and SITI Company). He has received grants from The Japan Foundation and the Japan/U.S. Partnership for the Performing Arts. From 2008-2011 he was Artistic Director of the National Theater Institute at the Tony Award-winning Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. He is currently Head of Acting at Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art.