Torifune Butoh Sha
In the 1960s, Ankoku Butoh (The Dance of Darkness), founded by a contemporary Butoh dancer, Tatsumi Hijikata, has been spread globally with a name; BUTOH as a Japanese movement style of 20th century. Torifune Butoh Sha is formed by Kayo and Yukio Mikami in 1991, Japan. Kayo trained Butoh from Tatsumi, as his disciple and through her career, Kayo has organized and investigated his thoughts to inherit it to all people. With Yukio, a ex-member of Japanese avant-garde group “Tenjo Sajiki”, led by Syuji Terayama, Torifune Butoh Sha has been highly appreciated nationally.
How to live our life”? - they will ask you the esse of human-life.
Born in Tokushima Prefecture in Japan, Kayo Mikami holds a Bachelor’s degree in Japanese Literature and a Master’s degree in Dance Educatio from the Ochanomizu Womens University in Tokyo. She is completing her doctoral degree and is on the associate professor at Kyoto Seika University since 2004. Kayo Mikami performed to hight critical accalaim in Japan, In U.S.A, in U.K, in France.
She is also an active Butoh educator and has given workshop at all the locations where she has performed and at Oberlin College U.S.A. in 2007, Cirque du Soleil theater Tokyo in 2003, and Ljubljana University, Slovenij, and Czech National Ostrava Conservatoir in 1999. Ms. Mikami also has studied Noguchi Excercise, and together with her husband, writer/director Yukio Mikami, they give Noguchi workshops in Japan.
They founded the studio as an affiliated organization of Torifune Butoh Sha, named Shonan Butoh Sha. and started its performances with San'GETTAN in 1994. Some member of the studio were participants of Mikami's Physical Training Studiofor Citizens. Members of the troupe (about 30 people) consist of house wives, school teachers, cartoonists, hospital nurses, municipal government officers, high school students who refuse to attend school, surfers, motorcycle gang, etc. of all ages from 10 to 80 (50 years of age on average) living in Shonan area of Kanagawa Prefecture. In November 2001, Members of the studio are students of Kyoto Seika University. They founded the studio as another affiliated organization of Torifune Butoh Sha named Heian Butoh-Ha, with a membership of 10 people, and performed Kokurico in Suita City, Osaka. Kayo Mikami has published
a pioneering book on the technique of Butoh which is based on her first-hand experience studying with Tatsumi Hijikata, the originator of Buto; the book has won high critical acclaim in Japan.
(The Body as Vessel; Tatsumi Hijikata - The Technique of Ankoku-Butoh, ANZ-DO Publications, Tokyo,1993)
Kayo Mikami (Ph.D.in Dance Arts / butoh dancer / butoh scholar)
Born in Tokushima Prefecture.
1976 Graduated from Ochanomizu Women's University and earned B.A.
1978-81 Trained by Tatsumi Hijikata, founder of Ankoku Butoh School.
1983-98 Trained by Michizo Noguchi originator of Noguchi Exercises.
1997 Graduated from Ochanomizu Women's University, graduate school (Dancing in Education).
Wrote "A Study of Tatsumi Hijikata, or an Approach to Aankoku Butoh" as her doctoral thesis and earned Ph.D.in Dance Arts from Ochanomizu Women's University.
1993 Published "The Body as a Vessel, or an Approach to Tatsumi Hijikata's Aankoku Butoh" based on the above thesis from ANZ Publishers.
1996 Lecturer at Tama College of Arts.
2001 Published "How to Live as a Physical Existance - Five Suggestions to Liberate our Body, Sense and Action" (Mikami et al.) from Sobun Kikaku Pulishers.
2007- Professor, Kyoto Seika University, the Department of Humanities.
Yukio Mikami (writer/ director and choreographer of Torifune Butoh Sha)
Born in Aomori Prefecture.
1967 Attended the Meiji-Gakuin University Tokyo Joined Tenjo-Sajiki the theater group by Shuji Terayama.
Acted in "Abandon Books,Go out to the City","Marie in Fur","Jashu-mon" Produced at the Nancy Theater Festival, Les Halls in Paris,Micris in Holland.
Co-directed "A Man-Driven Airplanne, Solomon" with Shuji Terayama at Holland Biennale.
1974 Scholarship student at the University of Nancy(C.U.I.F.E.R.D), the deparment of theatrical arts.
1983 Published "Humming Birds Wouldn't Sing" from Kadokawa Shoten Publishers.
1984 Wrote lots of travel sketches, film reviews and other miscellaneous articles for a variety of magazines.
1991 Founded Torifune Butoh Sha and produced.
1991- Directed and choreographed all of its works.
Also he works as director and choreographer for other theatrical performances.
Shona Butoh Ha
Originally some members of the studio were participants of Mikami's Physical Training Studio for Citizens.
In 1994 they founded the studio as an affiliated organization of Torifune Butoh Sha and started its performances with San'GETTAN.
Members of the troupe (about 30 people) consist of house wives, school teachers, cartoonists, hospital nurses, municipal government officers, university students, high school students who refuse to attend school, surfers, motorcycle gang, etc. of all ages from 10 to 80 (50 years of age on average) living in Shonan area of Kanagawa Prefecture.
In 2000 they conducted a tour in Milan, Italy, and Brno, Czech and had several performances together with Brno people.
Heian Butoh Ha
Members of the studio are students of Kyoto Seika University. In November 2001 they founded the studio as another affiliated organization of Torifune Butoh Sha with a membership of 10 people,
and performed Kokurico in Suita City, Osaka.
Kuro Kinkaku
Torifune Butoh-sha's own outdoor stage at Oiso-city since 2005.
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