Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a solid foundation for butoh specialists and novices alike by both tracing a fuller history of the form than has been previously available and developing a rigorous analysis and critique of the full range of butoh practice and discourse. It addresses a variety of butoh pedagogies, issues explored by practitioners (gender, politics, identity), and ways that butoh has impacted other dance, theatre, and performance practices. The book presents the first phase of butoh history in Japan through a focus on the two key early figures in butoh, Hijikata Tatsumi and Ohno Kazuo, along with the artistic contexts that influenced its development and reception in Japan. One of the most striking elements of butoh has always been the gender play of performers. Butoh's varied practices and learning opportunities make it unique among dance forms.