Dance of Darkness: butoh in film

The film programme will start with an introductory interview with Trajal Harrell, who selected the film Dance of Darkness (1989): what’s special about this film, and what’s the link with his own work? Interviewer Avita Maheen is a sound and media artist, writer and curator.

Dance of Darkness (1989) Edin Velez's study of the dance form butoh explores the evolution of this expressive style through archival footage by pioneer and founder Tatsumi Hijikata. Kazuo Ohno, an influential butoh dancer, is featured with his iconic work Admiring La Argentina. In addition, pieces such as Akaji Mori's Dai Rakuda Kan, Isamu Ohsuga's Byakko Sha and Yoko Ashikawa's Hakutoboh are highlighted, which together illustrate the depth and versatility of butoh. Many of these dancers have worked directly with Hijikata and share their insights about his artistic legacy.

Dance of Darkness will be preceded by Rose Color Dance (1965), an experimental film by Takahiko Iimura that captures the intensity of butoh and Hijikata’s so-called ‘dance experiences’. The male dancers in evening dress all move gracefully until an intruder disrupts the harmony. Iimura used a handheld spring-wind 8mm camera that provided raw, overexposed and blurry images that translated the atmosphere of the piece into film aesthetics and the dance gestures into camera movement. A highlight is the memorable duet between Hijikata and Ohno that demonstrates the deep expressivity of butoh. The stage design was by Natsuyuki Nakanishi and Tadanori Yokoo who are both considered luminaries of contemporary Japanese avant-garde art.

About the interviewer

Graduating from Media Technology at Leiden University in The Netherlands, Maheen's autoethnographic research explores sensory experiences and spatial perception in sound and space. Currently living in The Netherlands, Maheen founded the platforms Kalponik Rekha on contemporary audio visual performances in the south asian diaspora and Chaya Chobi on experimental filmmaking. Maheen is a guest Adjunct Faculty for New Media Studies at Pathshala South Asian Media Institute in Bangladesh.