Butoh Dance Training

Secrets of Japanese Dance through the Alishina Method

Juju Alishina, Corinna Torregiani

• Publisher: Singing Dragon
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9780857012265
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Dance

Drawing on avant garde and classical Japanese dance traditions, the Alishina Method offers a systematized approach to Butoh dance training for the first time in its history. With practical instruction and fully illustrated exercises, this book teaches readers:
· basic body training and expression exercises
· exercises to cultivate Qi (energy) and to aid improvisation
· about katas (forms) and how to develop your own
· the importance of voice, sound and music in Butoh
· to collaborate and be in harmony with others
· techniques to manipulate time and space
· how to develop the imagination and refine the senses to enrich performance.
This authentic approach to Japanese dance will be compelling reading for anyone interested in contemporary dance, performance arts, Japanese culture or personal development techniques.

~ Part 1 ~

Body training:
basic exercises

Butoh class in Paris

Photo: KOS-CREA 2007

~ 1.1 ~

Seiza, breathing and relaxation technique

Seiza and greeting

I always start and end the class with the seiza position and the Japanese greeting (a bow). Wherever we may be, this is basic.

How is the seiza position done correctly? Sit with your legs folded onto your bottom, stretch your body as if you were pulling your head towards the sky, concentrate all your force into the tanden (the point over the navel in the abdomen), release the tension in your shoulders and ease your breathing. Once you succeed in sitting in seiza correctly, bend over deeply, with all your heart, honoring this moment that you are sharing with the master in the same ba (place). Never do this in a careless or routine way.

As the saying goes: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” My daily life is permeated by French customs and traditions. However, during my classes I ask my students, no matter which country they come from, to comply with Japanese customs. The limited time–space dimension of my classes is the “Japanese” dimension, so students can feel as if they were in Japan.

How to stand up straight and sit

If you find it difficult to sit with your legs bent, you can sit in a way that is more comfortable for you. Suffering should be avoided, but at the same time it is important not to give up too soon. If you cannot maintain the position despite your efforts, you can stop. While training, try to gradually increase the amount of time you can sit in this position.

This is the way to stand up in traditional Japanese dance: first raise your heels; then lift your left leg, then the right in order to stand straight with your feet together. To sit, put your right leg back and bend your legs. Now bring your left knee onto the floor then sit on your bottom.

Training can be done by bending your knees and keeping your back straight. The exercise consists of standing up, sitting down and standing up again while balancing a book on one’s head. The correct way to stand up may be seen in Part 2, 2.5, Standing up, walking.

I will refer to the terms below as follows:

~In pairs: exercise for two people.

~Group: exercise involving more than two people.

~Individual/group: exercise done by the entire group which can also be developed on one’s own.

Unless otherwise specified, an exercise is meant to be individual.

Breathing technique

Adult lung capacity is about five liters (1.32 US gallons). However, in the usual breathing process, humans use just a quarter of this capacity. The more nervous or stressed one gets, the more one’s breathing capacity diminishes.

When breathing in and out, the human body inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide through blood vessels, which is why breathing is so important. Deep breathing allows for the complete exchange of impure air with fresh air. The following exercises are performed at the beginning of each class.

Candle breathing technique

After collectively kneeling in seiza position, put one index finger in front of your mouth. Now imagine that your finger is a candle and exhale as if you wanted to blow it out.

Now move your index finger away from your mouth and exhale again.

Move your index finger farther away from your mouth, exhale and so on.

You will stretch your arms by repeating this exercise six times.

Put your hands at your sides, breathe in deeply while expanding your chest and exhale, bending your upper body over your knees with your back curved.

Move back to seiza position and breathe in as you straighten your torso.

Next, put the other index finger in front of your mouth and, still imagining a candle, blow and move your finger away as described before. Now try to exhale for as long as possible.

Lower your arms keeping them as stretched out as you can, breathe in while expanding your chest and exhale, bending your upper body onto your knees.

Concentrating on breathing is a healthy exercise. In Japan, it is believed that deep breathing increases lifespan. Certain types of yoga consider the ideal exhalation length to be 30 seconds, while in normal breathing it usually does not last more than 20 seconds. Time the maximum duration of your exhalation and try to gradually increase it over time.

Qi (air) change by humming

TRAINING THE CIRCULATION OF QI OVER THE BODY

Inhale, close your mouth and produce a low-pitched hum. Keep the sound constant as if you were reciting the sutras of Shomyo...