The Joyce Theater Foundation is presenting a unique North American tour by Japan’s Sankai Juku in New York City. KŌSA – between two mirrors, the company’s latest work, which mines the depths of nearly 50 years of Butoh repertoire from founder Ushio Amagatsu for fresh artistic insights, will be on view from October 24 to November 5.
Japan’s foremost exponent of contemporary Butoh dance theater, Sankai Juku returns to The Joyce with an evening-length compilation of reimagined excerpts from the company’s vast repertoire. Entitled KŌSA, the work exemplifies the elegance, refinement, and emotional depth that are not only hallmarks of the art form, but also the artistic calling cards of Sankai Juku and its founder and choreographer, Ushio Amagatsu.
“By using no decor, only pure dance and the philosophical perception of images, I tried to bring everyone into my universe with as much curiosity as that which inhabited us at the first creation,” says Ushio Amagatsu. A sublime visual spectacle, KŌSA is a thought-provoking homage to the rich legacy of Japanese dance theater.
All photography by KOTARO KAWASHIMA
Dancers: Akihito Ichihara, Norihito Ishii, Dai Matsuoka, Soutaro Ito, Daiki Iwamoto
