MARCH 2004 WORKSHOP IN SEATTLE

BUTOH ARTIST TADASHI ENDO
Artistic Director of MAMU DANCE THEATRE
& MAMU-Festivals in Gottingen, Germany & Tokyo, Japan

"The dancer shall not dance but should be danced."

MARCH 16,17, 18 at 7-9:30 pm & 20 at 10-4 pm
Cost: Single eve $25/Sat only $40/Full workshop $100
Locations: 16, 18, 20 at Jeff Hengst's Studio, 1506 Franklin E & 17 only at Open Flight Studio, 4205 University Ave NE

Registration: davidandjoan@earthlink.net or 206-526-5756

TADASHI ENDO [born in 1947 in Peking, China; resides in Germany], director of the Butoh-Center MAMU and the Butoh-Festivals MAMU in Göttingen, embodies in the truest sense of that word the wisdom of both the Western and Oriental dance and theatre traditions. His repertory includes Noh theatre, Kabuki and Butoh, as well as the traditional forms of Occidental theatre, which he studied at the Max-Reinhardt-Seminar in Vienna. In 1989 T. Endo met Kazuo Ohno for the first time and they both realized a deep mental relationship which is increasing since then. In this synthesis of worldwide traditions, T. Endo transcends the boundaries of each, although Butoh's trancelike absorption into oneself continues to be visible as the starting point of his movement. T. Endo dances his life, his dreams, and his feelings. Visit Tadashi's website: www.tadashi-endo.de

Tadashi Endo is not only teaching how to move but also tries to give a deep view in the way of Butoh and its philosophy. Tadashi tries to let the participants feel the slowness. Concentrating on the feet as the only organ of sight and perception, they learn to move slowly. The feet are the only connection to the earth. After the participants get the real sensitivity in this kind of movement and feeling, he gives some associated pictures (like a growing flower or the wind playing with falling leaves etc.) which should be interpreted in movements. Tadashi tries to let the participants reach their inner emptiness, to be like in trance. Out of this calmness it is possible to gain the intensive and clear expression that is well-known in Butoh, Noh and the Kabuki. A minimum of movements lets the expression of feelings and situations grow to highest intensity. It is more important to keep the balance between energy, tension and control than to care for the aesthetics of the movements.

MAMU Manifest
Power, which always rising, ever and everywhere,
in the air, in the sand, in the steam, in red and white.
MAMU exists and does not exist.
Events, which disappear and will be born,
which hide and show themselves.
MAMU is another country,
born in the chaos of crossings and activities,
MAMU is another body.
Living in wild sensibility.
Butoh is everywhere -MAMU is everywhere.
Grasping all threads, which lead through MAMU to Butoh, through Butoh to MAMU.
The key which leads to MAMU opens your new body and your new house
and leads you to new ways, new journeys, and new dreams,to new ethic. To walk beyond your own limits. [Tadashi Endo & Ko Murobushi]