UW Associate Professor Justin Jesty reports on the recent Butoh workshop and series of performances which he attended this past November.
Seattle dance collective DAIPANbutoh held their annual butoh festival, November 19-21 at the Yaw Theater in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood. Spanning three nights of performance and two afternoon workshops, the festival was a tour-de-force, featuring eight original performances centered on the work of DAIPANbutoh members and visiting dancer and choreographer, Vangeline. Several of the performances included original music, poetry, and costume design and were accompanied live musical performance, creating an immersive, multi-sensory exploration of women’s ancestral experience and a meditative celebration of the powers of women’s bodies.