Butoh Dance

Paper Summary:

Butoh is a Japanese art form that emerged in 1959 as a response to western oppression. Western political dominance had a serious impact on the aesthetic sense of dancer Tatsumi Hijikata, who developed a new form of dance that comprises strange body movements, gestures and jerks. This paper provides an overview of the history and make-up of Butoh and shows how it is also accepted as a form of movement therapy.

From the Paper:

"Artaud rejected the views, beliefs and values of the theater of his time. He was not interested in projecting reality and sanity as they were accepted by the mainstream theater-goers. For him, artistic skills represented the ability to fully embrace the unknown, the untried and the unseen. Artaud did not view insanity as a problem. Everything that treaded on the dangerous was found exciting as it opened a new medium of expression and challenged the classical traditions of Japanese theater."

More papers on Butoh Dance:

• Research Paper # 91383 : "Butoh"
• Essay # 14569 : "Dance In Japan"
• Essay # 39738 : "Japanese Theater"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: