Butoh

While doing the research for War Bride, I read quite a large number of articles and watched numerous videos on both the history of Butoh dance and the current practice of it.

Butoh emerged in Japan during the late 1950s and early 1960s as an alternative dance and culture movement. Though it drew upon the traditional Japanese and Western dance, especially the mincing movement that is required when walking in a kimono, that existed at the time, it was in essence a rebellion against it. 

In Butoh, the body speaks for itself, though unconscious and improvised movement. This primal movement is combined with other dance, martial arts, and theater movement into an art form that seems almost other worldly.  The two videos below both blew me away.  The first is an Israeli dancer who is also an astonishing painter.  The second is a hip-hop dancer who was inspired by the Butoh and took it yet another direction.  I hope you enjoy them both.

War Bride: The Trailer!

 

Written by Samantha Macher, Directed by me, Shot and Edited by Heidi Marie, Starring Sachiyo K

I am so excited to present the trailer for our play, War Bride. The process of creating this was a blast. My first idea was way too huge, and Heidi laughed and was like, no. We then whittled it down to the essence of the play and what we wanted people to know; what would entice them to come.  I am hooked on this form of story telling. To be able to take the most basic props and turn them into something beautiful, well, that is awesome. I also really enjoyed working with these women and it made me even more excited to jump into rehearsals, which we did the following day.  The play is huge; there are so many elements, the scale of the story is grand and the history behind it immense. Shooting this trailer reminded me what I need to remember as a director.  Whittle each scene to it's essence. Tell this story simply and make it beautiful. Therein lies success. The joy of collaboration that accompanies the process is the gift that makes this crazy artistic existence worthwhile.