Press Release

Yumiko Yoshioka, Ken Mai, Natsuko Kono, Fergus Byrne, Deirdre Murphy, Rachel Sweeney, Antonio Roberts, Eleanor Lawler, Antje O’Toole and the Choko Butoh Thursday Group will come together in Dublin between 24 May and 1 June 2015 for Butoh Performances and Workshops.

The theme of 2015 is “Receptacle”. Butoh is a form of dance which emerged in Japan in the late 1950s by founder Tatsumi Hijikata and developed further by Kazuo Ohno. Butoh dancers dance fluidly, embracing gravity and aspire to reach the essence of human spirit, while conventional Western dance is characterised by the beauty of dynamic movement. Sophisticated and detailed movement developed from body language has created a unique mode of expression. Their performances have received support and praise from various cultural spheres throughout the world.

Performances (Mart, 190a Rathmines Road Lower, Dublin 6)
20.00 on 27 May : Antje O’Toole, Rachel Sweeney and Antonio Roberts
20.00 on 28 May : Natsuko Kono, Fergus Byrne,
20.00 on 29 May : Eleanor Lawler, Ken Mai
20.00 on 30 May : Deirdre Murphy, Choko Butoh Thursday Group, Yumiko Yoshioka

Workshops (Dance Ireland, DanceHouse, Foley Street, Dublin 1)
12.30 - 17.00 on 24 May: Natsuko Kono
12.30 - 17.00 on 25 May: Natsuko Kono
10.00 - 11.45 on 27, 29 May: Natsuko Kono
13.00 - 18.00 on 28 - 30 May: Yumiko Yoshioka

(Canal Way Educate Together NS, Basin Lane, Dublin 8)
12.30 - 17.00 on 24 May: Ambra G. Bergamasco
13.00 - 18.00 on 31 May: Yumiko Yoshioka
12.00 - 17.30 on 1 June: Ken Mai

(Please contact Moving Bodies Festival about tickets and details of performances and workshops)

Mr Chihiro Atsumi, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland said, “I am very happy that the Embassy of Japan co-organised the Butoh event in Ireland this year. I hope that many Irish people enjoy the performances and workshops, and gain an insight into contemporary Japanese dance.”

Ms Ambra G. Bergamasco, Moving Bodies said, ”It is a great honor to run the 2015 festival in association with the Embassy of Japan in Ireland”, and continued, “I hope this sees the beginning of a long collaboration to bring Butoh artists and European on the same stage.”

Moving Bodies Butoh and Live Art Festival is co-organised by the Moving Bodies Festival and the Embassy of Japan in Ireland.

(END)
http://movingbodiesbutohfestival.com/moving-bodies-butoh-live-art-dublin-and-torino-english-verison/

(Contact)
Ms Ambra G. Bergamasco, Moving Bodies Festival
E-mail: butohfestivaldublin@gmail.com, Website: http://movingbodiesbutohfestival.com/

Press and Cultural Affairs Section, Embassy of Japan in Ireland
Tel: 01 - 202 8305, E-mail: cultural@ir.mofa.go.jp, Website: www.ie.emb-japan.go.jp/