Abstract
This paper serves to answer the critical question: How can butoh act as a mobilizer for healing, cultural history, and dance accessibility? First, butoh is tentatively defined and an account of the history of butoh is given by reviewing the selection of literature. Historical considerations including the role of the modern dance movement in conjunction with butoh’s development, a brief overview of relevant Japanese history, the founders and practitioners of butoh, its notable characteristics, and its function as a safe space for queer and disabled artists affirm a baseline for inquiry. These ideas are then developed through interviews with queer, chronically ill, and disabled dancers as well as modern butoh practitioners who shed light on their identities and philosophies. Additional insights from my experiences studying abroad in Japan are used to further establish the cross-section of Japanese culture as butoh travels internationally and becomes intertwined with other cultures. Finally, a detailed overview of my experience as a queer, disabled dancer developing an original butoh piece is archived with the process, questions, and reflections of the process.
Advisor
Baird, Emily
Department
Theatre and Dance
Recommended Citation
Shreve, Gracie D., "“What has become of our bodies?”: Butoh as a Mobilizer of Healing, Cultural History, and Dance Accessibility" (2024). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 10934.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/10934
Publication Date
2024
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2024 Gracie D. Shreve