Butoh Jam
8 August 2009
The Annexe Gallery 

By Teh Soo Chin

A merging of two revolutionary art forms, both unique and diverse in their own kind, was what Butoh Jam about. Artistically directed by Lee Swee Keong and a brilliant performance by Caecar Chong, coupled with the integration of light and sound, it brought us to a new level of performing arts.  In conjunction with the Nyoba kan Butoh Festival 2009, Butoh Jam was one of the most enticing line-ups during the event.

I have never seen a Butoh performance before and when I chose to review this performance, I knew I had to find out exactly what is Butoh is. Butoh was first introduced in 1959 by Tatsumi Hijikata and Kahzu Ohno, the dance constitutes of playful and grotesque imagery, taboo topics and extreme or absurd environments.  There is no set style and maybe purely conceptual with no movement at all. Traditionally, the dancers are covered in white makeup in Butoh.  

The show was a hit as many people that showed up had to be turned away as the tickets were fully sold-out. We were whisked into the performance hall and were surprised with the set-up of the hall. There was a red carpet laid from one end to the other and a few lighting set-ups hung on the ceiling. The most interesting set-up was the display of paper mache dolls in a circular formation on the floor.  

Everyone was seated on the floor and platform surrounding the so-called stage (which we assumed). The artistic director, Lee Swee Keong gave a welcoming speech and explained the concept behind the dance. With installation art as the core with integration of light and sound, new possibilities were being explored when these different arts interfaced with Butoh dance.

Unlike any conventional dance, there is no storyline for the dance. Basically, it left us pondering deep into our soul on the experience that we got from the dance.

The lighting and the sound effects was the opening act for the show. From one flicker of a lamp to another, the only sound heard was the flickering of the switch, as we tried to grasp the essence of the show. Caesar, the Butoh performer suddenly walked into the crowd and the music drastically changed signaling his entry. His movements were very controlled and were in hyper-slow motion. He was moving slowly to the chandelier. When he was under the lamp, paper dolls were placed around him. He was sitting down slowly, whilst trying to reach for the lamp that was moving away from him. I can’t help but to wonder if the message behind it was that he was drowning in a sea of people and the ray of hope was dimming away.

This is a really interesting performance, unlike any other dance that I have seen. Without the distraction of music and lavish set design, the audience could really connect with the message being conveyed in Butoh dance. 

The second part was more interesting, involving the use of a projector. He leaned against the wall while turning around. An artist started to paint around Caesar’s shadow with charcoal. From one side of the wall, he moved to the opposite. Swee Keong also started to draw raindrops around Caesar, supposedly drenched in the rain. In the end, Swee Keong borrowed an umbrella from the audience to ‘shelter’ Caesar.   From my point of view, it might be portraying an individual being rescued from drowning in sorrow or sadness.