Takao Kawaguchi discusses Kazuo Ohno

About Kazuo Ohno—Reliving the Butoh Diva's Masterpieces
North American Premiere
Butoh Reinterpreted
Honoring the 110th anniversary of Kazuo Ohno's birth
Fri., Sept. 16, 7:30 PM (Followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Sat., Sept. 17, 7:30 PM
Takao Kawaguchi, one of Japan’s most sought-after dancers and former member of Dumb Type, challenged himself to literally "copy" the dances of the late butoh master and co-founder Kazuo Ohno, from archival recordings. What results is a hauntingly beautiful illusory duet between Kawaguchi and Ohno. Presented just weeks before what would have been Ohno’s 110th birthday, About Kazuo Ohno attempts to reconstruct Ohno’s timeless masterpieces, including Admiring La Argentina (1977) and My Mother (1981), phrase by phrase. This work offers the opportunity to explore and question the portrayal of gender, specifically femininity, that appears within Ohno’s repertoire.
As a companion piece within this program highlighting the reinterpretation of butoh by non-butoh specific artists in the 21st century, New York's Big Dance Theater presents Resplendent Shimmering Topaz Waterfall, a choreographic exploration of the notations of a work by another butoh legend, Tatsumi Hijikata.
Tickets: $30 /$25 Japan Society members. General Admission.
Photos: Special thanks to the Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio.
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