LISTENING WITH THE BODY

The legend of Japanese Butoh dance, performer and choreographer, as well as actor, director and musician Katsura Kan comes to Sofia to lead a 4-day intense workshop.

Butoh is a unique art form that stands at the intersection of dance, performance, and theater.
It originated in post-war Japan as a rebellion against all existing traditions, rules, and norms in art. Over the years it grew beyond Japan and became a global dance phenomenon in the contemporary art world.

Within the creative workshop, Katsura Kan, one of Butoh’s founding pioneerst, a direct student and collaborator of Tatsumi Hijikata, will guide us through the evolution, philosophy and techniques of this extraordinary form of movement and expression. We will explore the concept of the “curious body”, which is the key to understanding the main stream of Butoh movement ideas. Through a series of exercises, techniques and improvisation, we will unlock the subconscious body, focusing on inner sensations, emotional transformation and breaking conventional movement habits to discover an authentic, often unconventional, physical language. From the prism of his over 40 years of experience, Katsura will share various practices for discovering and developing an original dance language and choreography, provoking participants towards a deep somatic integration of mind and body.

"Butoh is mysterious and elusive. Because it is not a dance performed by the body, but a dance of the body itself. A mysterious and irrational body. A body full of memories, dreams, emotions, and hope, living without words and in defiance of consciousness. Butoh gathers time into a single point — the simultaneous experience of birth and death, cruelty and beauty, silence and madness," says Katsura Kan.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• building skills for listening, observing and following your own body, as well as the group body;
• focus on presence and connection;
• communication between body and space;
• sense of tempo and timing, incl. irregular beat to create percussive body movement;
• “Working with the wind” - essential practice about the atmosphere we create around ourselves;
• “Mask training” as an unidentified expression from inside the body;
• “Group improvisation” for space design of our personal Butoh movement;
• “Rhythmic composition” - voice and sound with movement, reaching the essence of rhythm;
• development of personal dance and movement language at at your own pace

WHO IS IT FOR?
The workshop is suitable for everyone with and without previous Butoh experience.

SCHEDULE /June 16-19/ AND VENUE:

June 16
9:30: 14:00 / Yoga studio “Treya Beauty Center”, 29 “Slavyanska” Str./
June 17,18,19
9:30 - 14:00 /Hall 2, TOPLOCENTRALA/
Public video lecture “Zen, Noh Theatre Traditions and Arts” with Katsura Kan + Q&A: June 18, 19:00 /hall 4, TOPLOCENTRALA/
Public demonstration: June 19, 19:00 /Hall 2, TOPLOCENTRALA/

HOW TO PARTICIPATE?
Your place is considered booked after:
- Filling out a short registration form 
and
-paying the participation fee by bank transfer or Revolut.

Participation fees:
100 € — early birds / until May 20 /
130 € — regular / after May 20- until June 10 /
145 € — last drops / after June 10 /
30 € - participation only for the first day of the workshop

*The workshop will take place with a minimum of 15 participants!

For payment:

By bank transfer: IBAN: BG53FINV91501016293780
Recipient: Sasha Hadjieva
Reason for payment: Butoh Workshop - Katsura Kan

For payment via Revolut: revolut.me/sasha1h

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND QUESTIONS:
+359 898624080 or sashahadjieva@gmail.com

ABOUT THE BUTOH MASTER KAN

KATSURA Kan, a native of Kyoto, is a Master Butoh artist from among the ranks of Japan's senior generation of Butoh. He is a pioneer in the field with over four decades of experience performing and teaching worldwide. As a direct student and collaborator of Hijikata, he is one of the few artists who continues the authentic Butho tradition while introducing contemporary influences. His performances often explore existential themes, using stillness and subtle motion to challenge perceptions of time, identity, and the body.

Katsura was a member of the founding Butho troupe “白虎社/Byakkosha” from 1979 to 1981, after which he began to explore his own artistic language. Today, he is a renowned solo and collaborative performer, as well as a director and choreographer, with practice in Asia, Europe, Africa, and South and North America.