Butoh, a Japanese style of dance created in the 1960s, is as unique as it is intense. According to a Butoh expert who introduced last Wednesday’s performance of “To the White, to the Sky,” a Butoh show hosted by the Japan Society of Boston, the term butoh means “dance,” and connotatively “Western dance.” However, a new, forbidden form of dance was created and named Ankoko Butoh, or “dance of utter darkness,” and is now commonly referred to as simply Butoh.
The performance of “To the White, To the Sky,” held at the Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge, mostly involved slow movements and difficult contortions, accompanied by a pulsating musical undertone.
The dancers, Morita Itto and Takeuchi Mika, took the stage fully dressed in yellow robes and hoods. Under the robes, both dancers’ bodies were covered in white powder and shredded kimonos, symbolizing the departure from traditional Japanese dance.
The show began with two simple spotlights, but as it continued, speckled light began to illuminate the stage as the emotional intensity of the dance progressed.
While the performance was technically a dance, it felt more like a very emotional and silent play. The movements of the dancers seemed more inspired and suggestive than rehearsed and technical. The seriousness of the dance makes it difficult to watch simply for entertainment; it was an emotional experience that aptly portrayed the anguish of the style of dance.