A legendary figure in the history of art and contemporary dance, Tatsumi Hijikata (1928-1986) was the founding father of the radical dance form that he called Butoh. In the mid-1970s, Hijikata became concerned with developing notation for his Butoh, and some of these Butoh-fu notations remain largely in the form of notebooks transcribed by his disciples. Recently published by Ugly Duckling Presse, Costume en Face: A Primer of Darkness for Young Boys and Girls is the first publication of one of Hijikata's notebook notations in either English or Japanese. In it we can see, for the first time, the profound interconnectedness of language and body in Hijikata's process of composition. 

One of the pieces in Big Dance Theater's new production Big Dance: Short Form, currently being presented at The Kitchen, is based on page 79 of Costume en Face. Please join us for a rare film screening of Hijikata's original 1976 production of Costume en Face, followed by a discussion of the impact of Hijikata's work on artists and choreographers today. Among the discussants will be Big Dance Theater's Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar, artist Aki Sasamoto, Butoh scholar Bruce Baird, and Ugly Duckling Presse editor Yelena Gluzman.

January 9, 5pm
Free

Related event: come see Big Dance Theater’s Hijikata-inspired work Resplendent Shimmering Topaz Waterfall as part of Big Dance: Short Form on January 6–9 and 13–16. Tickets can be purchased here.