TSUBUSHI BUTOH JOURNAL
Tsubushi was a butoh magazine based in Tokyo from 1990 to 1992. This group will feature articles and photos from the original magazine, and from that time period, as well as current butoh writings and photos.
Kevin Starbard who runs the Journal on facebook , asked me to respond to this question:
What was your first experience with butoh and what impact did it have on you?
I come from theatre.
My first professional step into theatre was as a director in a french theatre in Vienna. This first directing job felt just very natural for me, the ideas and inspiration would just flow. I was 20 years old. In spite of my family’s strong opposition, I decided to study theatre. I got my financial independence by going to London and there started my new life seeking for a way to do theatre. With 23 I started monsieur Jacques Lecoq’s theatre school in Paris, and his sudden death was very difficult for me. So I quit after one year, and created a small company in Spain. Later I studied with Philippe Gaulier for one more year, back in London. Back in Paris, I studied dramaturgy because I love writing since the age of 6 . I started my first self made theatre production « LIMIT », a monologue. My aim is to do art for the people, not for other artists nor critics, so I invited some friends, economists, scientist, social workers, to give some feedback in private sessions. Every one of them said the same: is it theatre or is it dance? …What? I was deeply shocked ! I am not a dancer, I said, I studied theatre with the biggest masters! My first theatre piece was achieved and I entered in a big artistic identity crisis. One night at an artist’s party, I was sitting on the floor outside, in the patio, and a man was standing next to me in the darkness. We started conversation: how are you? Not good, I said, and I told him about my crisis. I have a very clear memory of this moment. He was standing in the dark, I could not really see his face, he was like a big tall shadow looking down to me. He said: do you know butoh ?
No, I didn't! So I started research, no internet at that time. I found out there was a butoh festival going to happen, so I put together all money I could find, 65€ and decided to go to one show, and with this money I could attend only one day of workshop. I looked very carefully all the butoh artist’s flyers, I could only choose one! So I decided to go the most inspiring for me then, « Before the Dawn » by Yumiko Yoshioka.
I will always remember the atmosphere in the small Japanese theatre. I was sitting on futons, shoes off, the theatre was packed full, in the darkness… Slowly light fade in. A strange creature fully covered by a cloth, only one hole as a face, stepping sidewards onto the stage. Suddenly I recognized myself, this is me ! This is the art I want to do ! All the limitations of theatre, all this walls would fall apart, and a path of freedom opened !
On the next day I attended Yumiko’s workshop. There I was, pretending to be a stone-age human, wild and hungry. I just felt home. I was amazed by the mutual recognition which happened with Yumiko san, straight ahead we had a deep link, an intimate family feeling.
After this experience I felt free in my art ! I didn't have to fit into theatre, nor to fit into dance. I just had to be me, to offer the best of myself to my art creation, to expand in my freedom, to not be scared of shocking , of critics, of breaking normas.
[ Before covid, we would used the word « virus » to define this butoh effect on the person. Because once you tried it, as an audience or in the practice, there is no way back, you are infected and you are contagious. ]
That was in 2002, I was 27.
Since then butoh is my path.
Butoh is not a style. Butoh is a movement, always moving, always changing. Critics and audience like to stop the movement, saying butoh is this or that and expecting a defined esthetic. As a butoh artist we have to resist against this pressure, and continue to spread out our freedom, our activism, our peculiar beauty. Art can not be defined by critics, only by the artist him/herself.
I also think that practicing only butoh is not enough. Butoh is inclusive, gets inspiration from other arts, from life experience, from what is going on in the world.
I hate purism. Sometime I say to my students when they are stocked, break the constructed image you have of butoh! You don't have to fit into butoh, you are butoh. Don't place butoh higher then yourself, life is sacred, you are sacred, the planet is sacred, so is your dance, your art. Dont limit yourself by trying to please. Find your own butoh, this is the path.
Butoh offers freedom, and you have to take it! Freedom is active not passive. Freedom is not « to just do what i want ». Freedom is a personal responsibility. So what will you make out of your freedom?
Yes, freedom is a thin line to walk on.
So I walk conscientiously this thin line since 20 years now, dealing with all the consequences it may bring with.
Arigatō. Sumimasen.
Marlène Jöbstl