Butoh

What is Butoh?

Butoh has originated in Japan and is commonly understood as a dance theatre or theatre of expression. I use it as a creative-therapeutic path.

Butoh, in my understanding, is a dance of the soul. As a dancer, you let yourself be moved from your Inside. You are fully present and allow your current emotional state to express itself, or you address a specific topic that you wish to explore. This can be very meditative, or wild, dynamic, even bizarre. On the ground, on all fours, or jumping through the air.

When I work with Butoh, I almost always use music. I create specially arranged pieces of music for a specific theme (for example, softness, joy of life, closeness and distance, fire power, dignity, heart…), and thereby open a space that allows you to fully dive into this topic. The music serves as inspiration. While the dancer(s) move(s), I give little impulses that can help better go into the topic.

Butoh without any musical accompaniment is an absolutely magical experience, since you draw exclusively out of yourself. Butoh can be danced in a closed room or in nature. Nature offers a lot of inspiration. You can start on your exploration with something that inspires or resonates with you at that special moment.      

What do I offer?

I offer Butoh for individuals and groups. It can also be part of my multiple day individual Intensives. Enjoy it for two hours (alone or in group), 1 or 2 days, or up to one week (in a group). In my group offers, I combine Butoh with other pathways to self-exploration and reflection, such as meditations, exercises in body perception, sharing in couples and circles, nature encounters, and occasionally a common song, inner journeys and rattle rituals.

On demand, I can create a personal Butoh cycle for you, so you may personally address a theme in its different facets. After every Butoh session, there is space for reflection on the experiences. This helps conscious integration. A personal Butoh cycle consists of at least 6 dates.

How did I get to know Butoh?

During my studies in psychology, I have begun an training in Biosynthesis (a body-psycho-therapeutic approach), and completed it in 2003 after 5 years of study. Butoh was part of this training. Silvia Specht-Boadella, our Butoh trainer, had spent two years in Japan as student of Kazuo Ono (one of the two founders of Butoh with Hijikata). Butoh instantly gripped my fascination, since I had always loved movement and dance. When I dance, I dive into my own world and forget everything around me. It moves me. Butoh allowed me to face different theme sof my life in a creative way. With ease and joy, I could dive into my depths. I always made very intense, moving experiences that lasted for a long time. I always anticipated Butoh training days with love and joy, and couldn’t wait to get strarted. I knew I had to share this pathway to experience with other people. This is why I created my own approach to it.

A short impression of a Butoh:

How can you contact me?

If you have an interested in experiencing Butoh, write me an email or call me for arranging an appoitnment. I will let you know about all the details.

The same applies if you would like to arrange a workshop for me.

You find my e-mail right below and in the imprint (Impressum).