Kaoru Okumura butoh

2016.11.03: Beyond the Metaphors – Butoh x DeepDream,
in Arts and Machine Learning Summit
at Google Cultural Institute Paris. Sponsored by Google Art and Culture

Kaoru Okumura is a Japanese Butoh artist,
based in Seattle area from 2008.

“Kaoru moves with crane’s grace and silk tenderness, musing with music.”
by Esse

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    Second Growth @ Bemis Arts Biannual

    2016.04.24
    photo by (c) Wendy Simons

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    Hijikata Tatsumi’s memorial 2017 in Seattle

    2017.01.21 @ Theatro de la Psychomachia

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    SHIRANUI

    2015.07.05

    Photo by Jason Renek

Sampler
[0:00] Butohlet – Credo, quia absurdum
[3:44] Youmiachi Gusa
[7:13] Shadow Flower

Orasho – The Prayers of Nagasaki [highlights]: @ Seattle Butoh Festival 2017
Stage Art: “FatMan” by Yukiyo Kawano. Sound: “We mourn those buried by water and earth” by Virgines Vestales; “Orasho – prayer of hidden Christian” by Joy Von Spain & Vanessa Skantze. 2017.04.09

暗がりからゆっくりと、さまよい出て来る魂。
ゆらゆらと絡まり、ほどける、生まれたばかりの生命体。
胎児たち、または、海の中の生きもののようでした。
未明の世界をさまようタマシイ。

演者と音楽だけしかないぶん、くっきりしたストーリーがセリフや背景で説明される演劇よりも、舞踏というのは伝わるときにはとても直接的に伝わるものなのだなあ、と最近やっと腑に落ちるようになってきた。匂いとか音楽とかと同じように、直接伝わってくるカタマリ。

抽象的なものは分かりにくい、と思われがちだけど。
でもそういう共感は、言葉によるよりも、ずっと強くずっとたしかに、深く届く。

by Tomozo, http://livinginnw.blogspot.com/2018/02/blog-post_6.html
“KAGIROHI かぎろひ” 1/21/2018 Tatsumi Hijikata Memorial in Seattle

Coming Performance

May 26, 2022

  • "Still Now" @ Orcas Center Theater

    May 26, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
    Orcas Center, 917 Mt Baker Rd, Eastsound, WA 98245, USA

    Theater project “Still Now” - a story of liberation and catharsis with our mortality, inspired by butoh, will feature Kaoru Okumura, a guest actor, playing a butoh master role.
    Thu - Sat 7pm; Sun 1pm. $15 – $47

    Streaming available on both Saturdays. Check for detail at https://orcascenter.org/event/still-now/

May 27, 2022

  • "Still Now" @ Orcas Center Theater

    May 27, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
    Orcas Center, 917 Mt Baker Rd, Eastsound, WA 98245, USA

    Theater project “Still Now” - a story of liberation and catharsis with our mortality, inspired by butoh, will feature Kaoru Okumura, a guest actor, playing a butoh master role.
    Thu - Sat 7pm; Sun 1pm. $15 – $47

    Streaming available on both Saturdays. Check for detail at https://orcascenter.org/event/still-now/

May 28, 2022

  • "Still Now" @ Orcas Center Theater

    May 28, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
    Orcas Center, 917 Mt Baker Rd, Eastsound, WA 98245, USA

    Theater project “Still Now” - a story of liberation and catharsis with our mortality, inspired by butoh, will feature Kaoru Okumura, a guest actor, playing a butoh master role.
    Thu - Sat 7pm; Sun 1pm. $15 – $47

    Streaming available on both Saturdays. Check for detail at https://orcascenter.org/event/still-now/