Celebration of the Birth of Tatsumi Hijikata
Wednesday, March 9th
7:00 - 9:00pm, followed by a small gathering
Studio Ma (location below)
Please donate what you wish based on what the experience has given to you.
If you wish to attend, please RSVP.
We are very excited and honored to host an evening to celebrate the birthday of the founder of butoh, Tatsumi Hijikata, and to remember his work by sharing a few pieces directly inspired by him and his company. While so much of butoh is often culturally associated with death, the elements of birth and life are equally as prolific and deeply integral to the practice. We are inspired by this day to share work that gives life, energy, and rebirth as spring appears before us.
To start the evening, Joey Largent will present a live score to the iconic footage of Tatsumi Hijikata and his company of dancers' 1973 performance of Summer Storm at Kyoto University. The performance was captured on silent 8mm film, and it wasn’t until 2003 that filmmaker Aria Misao edited the footage for release. Since the film has no original score (the original score of Hijikata's piece was not captured, and the soundtrack of the 2003 film is an assemblage of various artists), it is only appropriate to pair such a powerful performance with a score that can respond directly to and interpret the movements and themes of each piece. Joey will be presenting his first draft (with more to come) of an immersive live score consisting entirely of voice and acoustic instruments (with some amplified), with support on various instruments by Katrina Wolfe. To better match the organic quality of the movement, no looping devices or electronics will be used. Everything will be played live in real time. The film will run 1 hour and 11 minutes, followed by a short intermission.
After this, Katrina Wolfe will present a new solo work for the occasion of the evening. Her dance will blend the organic sounds and shapes of plant materials, bells, and her voice with a hypnotic dance of shape-shifting as she travels through the garden of the impermanent sensations of the physical body. Joey will join Katrina in a collaborative live, improvised soundscape.
Katrina Wolfe; Photo by David Joshua Jennings
Following the performance, we invite all attendees to join us in the sculpture room for a small gathering. We invite you to bring any snacks and non-alcoholic* beverages that you'd like.
From Katrina Wolfe:
"On March 9th, 1928, Kunio Yoneyama was born in northern Japan. He would later go on to become Tatsumi Hijikata and create the avant-garde dance and performance art of Butoh. Upon seeing my first Butoh performance in Seattle in 2008, I immediately felt a strong connection between my visual art and this particular form of movement art. Now, fourteen years later, the inspiration and experiences I have gained through my study of Butoh have made the work of performance (combined with my visual art), teaching, and Vipassana meditation the main focus of my life. Although very little of Hijikata’s actual dance has been recorded, I feel strongly that he is one of my greatest teachers. The film “Summer Storm”, which is the only fully documented performance of Hijikata and his company, has had a profound impact on the development of my personal style of dance."
A note from Studio Ma:
All events at Studio Ma are entirely supported by donations. We intentionally do not set a fixed price at most events so that giving of any amount can be entirely voluntary and come from your own generosity, volition, and ability. Your support keeps us going, and it tangibly makes a difference for us. Thank you for your continued support and patience as we work to share more with you.
*As we are now hosting Vipassana events at Studio Ma, we ask that you help to keep our space free from any forms of intoxicants, including alcohol.
Covid-19 protocols:
In accordance with King County Performing Arts Venue requirements, masks are required for all performances at Studio Ma until otherwise stated. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with us as we navigate this difficult time. We are so happy to be able to share with you all and be together, and want to be safe and accommodate you while doing so.
Location:
Studio Ma is located in the ALLEY above the business at 4334 University Way NE (EZ Copy N Print, Beetle Cafe). You can access the alley just east of either the intersection of 45th and University or the intersection of 43rd and University. Our studio is in a dark gray building with a black metal gate next to the back entrance of the University Bookstore and across from the Malloy apartment building. Enter the gate (it will be unlocked, just make sure to close it after), go up the ramp and into the door marked "Studio Ma".