Middlebury

JAPN 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:
Japanese
Department:
Japanese Studies
Division:
Languages
Requirements Fulfilled:
ART PE
Equivalent Courses:
DANC 0132 *
DANC 1017

Sections

Fall 2024

JAPN0132A-F24 Lecture (Chavez)
JAPN0132Z-F24 Lab (Chavez)