Takahiko Iimura – Cine Dance: The Butoh of Tatsumi Hijikata

Two representative woks of his early period in the 1960s: Anma (The Masseurs) and Rose Color Dance by the Butoh dance originator, Tatsumi Hijikata are assembled in this package. The films are realized not only as a dance document but also as a Cine-Dance which means a choreography of film. The Filmmaker "performed" himself with a camera on the stage in front of the audience. Both works, performed by Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno, have the highlights in their duet performances. The films, only documents taken of the performances, must be seen for the appreciation of the Hijikata dance and the foundation of Butoh.

"Through these films, it became clear that the Black Butoh dance created by Tatsumi Hijikata is closer to the neo-dada movement taking over the provocative, cynical and absurd forms rather than the German expressionist dance usually connected." – Nicolas Villodre, curator of Cinematheque Francaise, Paris