Butoh with Marie-Gabrielle Rotie

Join Marie-Gabrielle Rotie in association with Flabbergast Theatre in this 3-day Butoh course hosted by Poplar Union.

What to expect

Participants are introduced to the value and power of working from imagination and from guided poetic imagery as tools for transformation: the body can discover many selves and extend into animal, plant or non-human entities. Historically, Butoh has an interest in the body as a corpse trying to stand upright in a desperate bid for life (Hijikata) and this tension between living and death forms a strong thread in this workshop.

Marie approaches this through thinking of the natural cycle of existence from Spring to Autumn and Winter, and finding inner imagery and body qualities to associate this with our own human and emotional cycles to birth to old age and beyond.

Each day begins with intensive body training incorporating somatics, voice and foundational Butoh techniques that are then used in structured improvisations. The workshops are suitable for anyone interested in movement.

Tickets

This is a 3-day course. To book, just select 2 July and this will give you access to all three days. Concession tickets are available. This event is capped at 18 participants so booking in advance is necessary.

About Marie-Gabrielle

Marie-Gabrielle’s interdisciplinary works traverse the mediums of live performance and visual arts. For the past 30 years, she has worked as a performer, dancer, choreographer, movement director and producer. Since 1994 she has studied Butoh in Europe and Japan with Ko Murobushi, Kazuo Ohno, Atsushi Takenouchi, Carlotta Ikeda, Masaki Iwana, Natsu Nakajima and Yumiko Yoshioka and many others. This led to a long and successful career in movement-based work, movement direction (for Theatre and Opera, including Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre) and choreography commissions, touring nationally and internationally. She is currently working with director Robert Eggers.