Harupin-Ha Butoh Dance Theatre

Thu, Jan 19
7:00 pm
$5 after 5:00 pm

Special Performance by Legends of Contemporary Japanese "Dance of =

Darkness"

Thursday, January 19, 2006

7:00 pm

Reception Afterwards

FREE with museum admission

($5 after 5:00 pm)


Enjoy a mesmerizing performance by Koichi and Hiroko Tamano (husband =

and wife) and their internationally renowned Butoh dance company, =

Harupin-Ha. Widely credited with the "Butoh boom" in the United =

States and the Bay Area in particular, the Tamanos have influenced a =

generation of American Butoh artists. After the performance, join us =

for a reception with the artists in honor of Koichi Tamano's 60th =

birthday.

Butoh, a unique and often unusual avant-garde Japanese dance form, =

follows no planned choreography. Rather, it derives its power from =

individual improvisation and directs its energy from the dancer's =

surroundings. In this case, Harupin-ha's expressive and theatrical =

performance will be inspired by Traditions Unbound: Groundbreaking =

Painters of Eighteenth-Century Kyoto, the museum's critically =

acclaimed special exhibition of rare Japanese paintings.

Trained in Ankoku Butoh ("Dance of Darkness") by Tatsumi Hijikata-- =

considered by many as the father of Japanese butoh--the Tamanos =

brought Butoh to the United States when they arrived in Berkeley in =

1978. As Hijikata's prot=E9g=E9, Koichi and the Harupin-Ha company have =

sought to perpetuate Hijikata's experimental spirit and legacy while =

evolving their own distinctive dance methods informed by both the =

past and the present.

Koichi and Hiroko perform solo and collaborative works throughout the =

U.S. and around the world. They have worked with artists of all =

media, including Grammy award-winning Kitaro. In addition, they have =

taught hundreds of workshops, claiming among their students noted Bay =

Area Butoh artists Shinichi Momo Koga and Ledoh. The popularity of =

Butoh today can be partly attributed to the foundation laid down by =

the Tamanos during the past two decades.

Since its post-World War II debut in Hijikata's controversial Kinjiki =

("Forbidden Colors," 1959), Butoh has transformed the landscape of =

dance in Japan and has spiraled into an international movement. It is =

not a prescribed set of movements in time, but a departure from =

expression bounding towards transformation.

Though it defies definition because of its diverse range of styles =

and techniques, Butoh is a state of being present, hanging between =

light and darkness. A performance art that thrives on change, it =

focuses on the dark and deep recesses of the mind and body, exploring =

the depths of consciousness and existence. While the goal of other =

contemporary dance forms is to express or represent a concept through =

movement, Butoh performers seek to transform themselves and become =

that concept through motion.

Venue:

Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco
415-581-3500
www.asianart.org

The Asian Art Museum is located at 200 Larkin Street, between =

McAllister and Fulton Streets, overlooking Civic Center Plaza.

From the East Bay:
Take exit 9th Street/Civic Center, stay on 9th Street which turns =

into Larkin Street. Go two blocks and the Museum will be on your right.

From the Peninsula:
Take 101 and exit at 9th Street/Civic Center. Follow 9th Street which =

turns into Larkin Street. Go two blocks and the Museum will be on =

your right.

From the North Bay:
From Golden Gate Bridge, take Doyle Drive to Lombard Street. Follow =

Lombard to Van Ness Avenue. Turn left at McAllister and go two blocks =

to Larkin.

Parking
The Asian Art Museum does not have a parking facility, but it is =

served by the following parking facilities-all within walking =

distance of the museum.

Civic Center Plaza Garage (840 spaces)
Entrance between Polk and Larkin, Grove and McAllister. Entrance on =

McAllister.

Outdoor Self-Park lots (175 spaces total)
2 lots located on opposite corners of Hayes at Polk. One at Polk at =

Fell.

Fox Plaza (200 spaces)
1390 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Entrance on Hayes, between Polk and Larkin.

Performing Arts Center Garage (616 spaces)
Entrance on Grove at Gough.

Opera Plaza Garage (150 spaces)
Entrance on Golden Gate at Van Ness.

Public Transportation
The Asian Art Museum is conveniently served by several Bay Area =

public transportation systems. The museum is located 1 block west of =

the Civic Center BART/Muni station.

To walk to the museum from Civic Center BART/Muni Station: Go to the =

west end (Grove Street exit) of the Civic Center BART/Muni Station =

and go upstairs to the street level. Walk one block north on Hyde =

Street to Fulton. Take a left on Fulton Street. Walk one block west =

(toward City Hall) on Fulton Street to Larkin Street. Take a right on =

Larkin. Walk north on Larkin and take a right into the doors of the =

museum at 200 Larkin Street.

Additional Info:

415-581-3667
www.asianart.org/butoh