Bettina Hoffmann
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Institutional Recommendation Program
update: 2019.10.24
Bettina Hoffmann
| Participating Project | Institutional Recommendation Program |
|---|---|
| Activity Based | Canada |
| City | Tokyo |
| Period | 2016.5 - 2016.7 |
Purpose of the residency
During my time in Tokyo I will research and learn butoh. Ko Murobushi, who I saw in Berlin, explained butoh dance as movements that are restricted from within the body, thus slowing it down and expressing an inner bodily struggle, a constraint. The elements that I find intriguing in Butoh are its slowness and subtle movements, the grotesque and playfulness that are developed through the visualization of images and imagination. Movement that is slowed down might be understood as concentration, malfunctioning (out of the ordinary) or distress, thus attracting attention, curiosity, expectation and an emotional reaction. In butoh the body is being moved, from an internal or external source, rather than consciously moving a body part. A certain element of "control versus un-control" is present through many of the exercises. Though butoh is often performed solo, I am particular interested in group choreographies.
Plan during the residency
In butoh dance I find so many inspiring and intriguing elements, which I want to learn and understand. Through a profound research, I will be learning its various techniques, approaches and expressions that will inspire me to widen my approach and develop new movements and choreographies for video and live performance.
Watching and practising butoh will be my basis to understand the concept, philosophy and application of butoh while learning from different masters in the Tokyo area. Those experiences will influence my video and performance work, inspire visualisations and techniques to develop choreography. I will be sketching movements, trying out movements as well as experimenting with a camera in motion to capture subtle body movements. In the end I wish to develop short movement tableaux in collaboration with dancers from here while exploring a situation between people who don't share the same language.
