BUTOH TRAINING FOR ACTORS
Our BUTOH workshops are primarily for actors and other performers. However, martial artists or anyone with an interest in BUTOH are also welcome to participate.
The activities in the workshops are designed to increase sensory, physical, and psychological awareness, improve psycho-physical discipline, and enhance your ability to distribute and project energy, all essential elements in the development of presence.
Workshops can be conducted in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, throughout Australia or internationally, by request.
WHAT IS BUTOH?
ANKOKU BUTOH or BUTOH, as it is more commonly known, is a Japanese body-mind performance discipline designed to develop presence in its practitioners.
It was created by dancer Tatsumi Hijikata (1928–1986), alongside fellow dancer Kazuo Ohno (1906–2010), in the late 1950s.
‘ANKOKU BUTOH’ can be broken down into two parts; ‘ANKOKU’ (‘Utter Blackness/Darkness’) and ‘BUTOH’ (‘Dance Step’). The general English translation for ‘ANKOKU Butoh’ is ‘Dance of Darkness’.
The practice of ANKOKU BUTOH involves a psycho-physical search in which a practitioner metaphorically enters a dark maze and remains lost until they are able to discover the exit – to presence.
Over time, the term ‘ANKOKU BUTOH’ has been replaced with ‘BUTOH’.
FORM VS FORMLESS
Although the terms ‘ANKOKU BUTOH’ and ‘BUTOH’ are interchangeable, there are two distinct approaches to the practice.
Tatsumi Hijikata was opposed to improvisation and instead focused on the use of formulated movements and imagery compiled in his notational system of BUTOH-FU. Kazuo Ohno, on the other hand, believed that movement should be spontaneous, with no inhibiting forms.
Those inspired by Ohno’s teachings maintain that spontaneous, unstructured movement is the most effective way to develop presence, while those who follow Hijikata’s training philosophy, contend that a combination of arranged movements and imagery is the only path to presence.
The focus on form vs attention to formlessness, defines the difference between Hijikata’s ANKOKU BUTOH and Ohno’s BUTOH.
Our training adopts a hybrid approach of ‘choreo-impro’, that encourages improvisation within a choregraphed pattern of movements.
ABOUT DWAYNE LAWLER
Dwayne Lawler is an actor, martial artist, BUTOH specialist and the founder of SHINBUTOH.
A pioneer in the use of BUTOH to develop presence in actors, he trained in BUTOH in Japan under the following teachers: Yoshito Ohno (son of Kazuo Ohno), Yukio Waguri, Saga Kobayashi, Kayo Mikami, Natsu Nakajima, Seisaku & Yuri Nagaoka [Dance Medium], Kae Ishimoto, Yuko Kawamoto, and Akaji Maro’s Dairakudakan.
He was the artistic director of Japan-based Rising Sun Theatre and the co-founder and director of the Tokyo Fringe Festival. Acting credits include Macbeth (New National Theatre, Tokyo), Tokyo Vampire (Riant Theatre, New York) and the feature film The Vancouver Asahi.
He holds a third-degree black belt in Shotokai karate, is a master-teacher of the traditional Japanese energy practice of Komyo Reikido, and a practitioner of the stage-sword combat art of Tate-do.
He has a PhD specialising in the use of BUTOH to develop presence in actors and has taught BUTOH training techniques to actors and other performers at various institutions, including Sydney Acting Studio, Critical Path, Griffith University, and as a guest lecturer at NIDA.
1-DAY BUTOH FOR ACTORS WORKSHOP
An actor that is not present is one that moves without intention, has a shifting focus and a blurred sense of time. This results from a mind that is either racing ahead or caught in a past moment, instead of remaining in a continuous series of present moments. An actor lacking presence is revealed through a loss of control, a poor sense of self, and the sensation of not being fully grounded.
On the other hand, an actor that is both present and has presence, reacts in a responsive manner with …
read more 1-DAY BUTOH FOR MARTIAL ARTISTS WORKSHOP
A martial artist that is not present is one that, when it comes to self-defense, suddenly freezes or moves erratically, has a shifting focus, and a blurred sense of time. This results from a mind that is either racing ahead or caught in a past moment, instead of remaining in a continuous series of present moments. A martial artist lacking presence is revealed through a loss of control, poor coordination, and the sensation of not being fully grounded.
Alternatively, a martial artist that is both present and has presence …
90-MINUTE PRIVATE BUTOH SESSION
A private coaching session covers the fundamentals of BUTOH training, including the use of visualisation techniques, and ‘choreo-impro’ (improvisation within a structured pattern of movements).
The session consists of BUTOH exercises to enhance awareness, discipline, and energy to develop the dual state of ‘being present’ and ‘having presence’.
Private coaching is available to actors, other performers, martial artists, or anyone with an interest in BUTOH…
BUTOH: HOW TO BE PRESENT AND HAVE PRESENCE
This 4-week series covers the fundamentals of BUTOH training including the use of imagery, visualisation techniques and ‘choreo-impro’ (improvisation within a structured pattern of movements) to develop the states of ‘being present’ and ‘having presence’.
This project is proudly supported by Critical Path.
For more information regarding future workshops, please go to the workshop schedule page.
read more