Copyright information:Reto Schmid
Harrell’s solo Sister or He Buried the Body was inspired by the expressiveness of butoh and early modern dance. Accompanied by pop music and Afro-American jazz voices, he sets out to find a dance he will be able to perform well into his seventies.
'Sister or He Buried the Body is a dance that, ideally, I will be able to dance until I am eighty, sitting down, using my hands. Including and representing older people is something that relates directly to butoh. This piece is my imaginative interpretation of an encounter between the ideas of Tatsumi Hijikata, pioneer of butoh, and the pioneer of Afro-American dances, Katherine Dunham. It should not be mistaken for a fusion; I do not do fusion dance. It’s my imaginative speculation from knowing they possibly met and shared a studio. I asked myself: how does that knowledge shape me as an artist?'
– Trajal Harrell, associate artist 2025
Sister or He Buried the Body sees Harrell imagine a speculative past, exploring the pioneer of traditional Japanese dance style butoh, Tatsumu Hijikata, and his possible connection with Afro-American anthropologist and choreographer Katherine Dunham, who allegedly influenced Hijikata’s studies in Tokyo.
dates
Wed June 25 2:00 PM
Wed June 25 4:00 PM
prices
- with a museum entry ticket € 0
information
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Language no problem
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20 minutes
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Orpheas Emirzas
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Reto Schmid
