"Body revolution". Japanese Butoh dance performed by choreographer Lee Swee Keong
"Body revolution". Japanese Butoh dance performed by choreographer Lee Swee Keong

Video: "Body revolution". Japanese Butoh dance performed by choreographer Lee Swee Keong

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Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh
Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh

The mind of the Japanese cannot be understood. These amazing people need to be felt, examined, studied, and every time you wonder how many oddities these hardworking quiet people conceal in themselves. And they have something to surprise us Europeans with, according to the project 4dancing.ru … For example, modern dance "butoh", which, in fact, very remotely resembles dance as such. Rather, "butoh" is a set of gymnastic exercises, however, most often it is called "stomping dance" and "body revolution". One of the most famous Butoh dancers is the Chinese-Malaysian choreographer Lee Swee Keong. Moreover, he is known not only for his stunning plasticity and artistry, but also for his shocking production of "Man and God", which he first presented in one of the Beijing restaurants at the end of 2008.

Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh
Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh
Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh
Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh

"Dance in the dark", "inner dance" are the few epithets that Butoh is awarded with, and they explain in the best possible way what, in fact, is the essence of the performance. As already mentioned, this is a set of gymnastic exercises interspersed with acting "attacks" and the antics of mime artists, which, by the way, are also very popular in Japan. And the appearance of the "butoists" is somewhat reminiscent of mimes: white makeup, shaved head, mobile facial expressions, often a sad expression …

Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh
Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh

Lee Swee Keong says that the main task of a Butoh dancer is to listen to his body, completely and completely surrender himself to the power of his instincts and do what his arms, legs, shoulders want to do … Therefore, the movements of Butoh dancers are often very impulsive, absent-minded. And it happens that they do not exist at all, these movements. It happens that a dancer freezes, assuming this or that pose, and it seems that he is petrified or plunged into nirvana without a chance to "get out" upstairs. The emphasis on the body, the demonstration of its pliability and plasticity is the highlight of this dance.

Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh
Lee Swee Keong stomping dances. Modern philosophy of Butoh

Considering the uniqueness and ambiguity of Lee Swee Keong's butoh performances, many people prefer to call them not dance performances, but installations. But the choreographer only smiles indulgently when he hears such reviews …

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