Middlebury

DANC 0132

Introduction to Butoh Dance

Introduction to Butoh Dance
This course is an introduction to the fundamental principles of butoh dance. Butoh is a contemporary dance form that originated in Japan in the 1950s and has since spread worldwide. This form values explorations of presence, transformation, and the development of curiosity to create full-bodied performance. Students experience butoh techniques through a series of movement exercises, choreography, and improvisational activities. This course explores butoh’s themes, history, and evolution, investigating how it differs from western contemporary dance by subverting dance norms and embracing refusal. Through embodiment, supporting course materials, creative writing practices, and artistic generation, students understand butoh’s physical and emotional components while strengthening creative expression and confidence in the body. (Not open to students who have taken DANC 1017.)
Subject:
Dance
Department:
Dance
Division:
Arts
Requirements Fulfilled:
ART PE
Equivalent Courses:
DANC 1017
JAPN 0132

Sections in Fall 2024, School Abroad Japan (Tokyo)

Fall 2024

DANC0132A-F24 Lecture (Chavez)
DANC0132Z-F24 Lab (Chavez)