Butoh residential workshop 2-5 May 2014
BUTOH RESIDENTIAL WORKSHOP2(Fri)-5(Mon) May 2014 on the Wimmera River, 15kms West of Horsham Lead By Yumi Umiumare with a special guest voice artist from Tokyo, Kyoko Hirobe and locally based visual artist Anthony Pelchen
$350/320 (Vegetarian meals included) Early Bird Special by 17 April $330/300 $330/$300 (Vegetarian meals included)
The aim of this workshop is to expand body awareness, deepen consciousness and unleash internal expression though a response to landscape. This 130 acre site near Mt Arapiles allows participants to move between bush-land, sand dunes, open fields, river and elevated rock, opening up the senses to color, texture, sound and form. Over the weekend, Yumi will introduce various methods of Butoh, Chi/Gravity exercises, breathing methods and encourage a fuller expression and consciousness of well-being. The body practices, voice work and drawing will act as powerful counterpoints and as opportunities to filter one into the other, strengthening the links between the external environment and the internal landscape.Kyoko (known as Earth Voice Kyoko) will share simple techniques for grounding body energy and connecting with the inner voice. Anthony will run a session of charcoal drawing that tap into this and the overall energetic build-up over the weekend. No dance, singing or drawing experience required
YUMI UMIUMARE: Born in Hyogo, Japan, Yumi is the only Japanese Butoh Dancer in Australia and the creator of provocative Butoh Cabaret works. Originally a member of the seminal Butoh Company DaiRakudakan in Tokyo, she moved to Australia and in 1993. Over the last 20 years Yumi’s versatile and distinctive physical theatre works have been seen in the spectrum of dance, theatre and film productions and festivals throughout Australia, Japan, Europe, New Zealand and South Eastern Asia. Yumi teaches Butoh nationally and internationally. KYOKO HIROBE: Kyoko is a native voice artist from Tokyo, touring Japan with several bands, singing in her deep soulful and powerful voice. In 2011 Kyoko performed with Yumi in Tokyo and joined Butoh residential workshop in Australian in 2012. A psychic healer and numerologist who has worked with over 8000 people in Japan, Kyoko has a love of volcanic mountains and the smell of souls. ANTHONY PELCHEN: As a visual artist working across mediums, Anthony studied at the Victorian College of the Arts and has since presented work in Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Denmark. For over a decade he has periodically collaborated with Yumi Umiumare and Tony Yap and since 2010 has curated the Visual Arts program of the annual Melaka Art & Performance Festival, Malaysia.