Join Santeri (Finland) and Adam (USA) for a unique collaboration: Butoh: Space & Spirit. Together, they will delve into two profound dimensions of butoh dance theatre, drawing inspiration from its co-founders, Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno.

The two dimensions, Space and Spirit, embody distinct yet intertwined aspects of creation:

Space centers on resonance, the endless unfolding of creation, its metamorphosis, and its mystery.

Spirit focuses on the spark of inspiration—the force that moves us deeply, as if touched by God or the “Provider.”

How will these two dimensions engage in dialogue and dance with one another? Over the course of 9 days, the answer will emerge through exploration and performance.

The 9-day intensive takes place daily from Saturday, January 25th, to Sunday, February 2nd, running from 5 PM to 8 PM. On the final day, participants will engage in a full improvisational jam, integrating all that has been explored and learned over the previous eight days.

Location: Tbilisi Music & Drama State @ Natia’s studio, 2 Giorgi Tsabadze St, Tbilisi (same building as New Platform)

RSVP (Reservation) info: To Be Announced

Santeri Vikström (Finland)

In this workshop series, Santeri Vikström will present a holistic approach to butoh, allowing participants to explore existence in its heights and depths, and to dance towards embodiment, creativity, metamorphosis, and space itself.

Through various techniques, frameworks, and exercises, we will discover ways to deepen our movement practice, participatory access, and flow. Methods such as the water body technique, life resonance method, and integrative use of images will be introduced, alongside the ritualistic aspects of butoh. These practices enable participants to connect with their guts and beyond and to navigate the liminal spaces of transformation.

The workshop includes clear, meditative instructions supported by insightful philosophy, offering a profound and reflective experience.

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Santeri Vikström is a system poet, butoh practitioner, artist, and curious wanderer from Helsinki. With a background in butoh, various wisdom traditions, and improvisational theater, Santeri has been actively practicing butoh since 2012. His work focuses on building bridges between butoh and other disciplines, cultivating the possibility of an emerging artful alchemy.

Over the years, he has organized and presented performances, workshops, and long-term courses across the globe and has been studying butoh and other methods with various butoh artists and somatic practitioners. Santeri is a co-founder of the iLiminal Butoh Collective.

Adam Koan (USA)

Adam returns after offering several butoh sessions throughout the years in Georgia with his latest project Theokinesis (https://theokinesis.com). 

Theokinesis draws inspiration from Christian wisdom and the co-founder of butoh Kazuo Ohno’s emphasis on “Spirit.” Kazuo, a practicing Christian, rooted his understanding of “Spirit” to the Holy Spirit.

In this intensive, we will explore the 6 Wings of Theokinesis, a framework designed to guide dancers toward establishing a personal connection with God or “Provider.” Through this connection, the dancer responds with their entire being, much like King David in the Bible. As described in 2 Samuel 6:14-15, David, wearing a linen ephod, danced like a wild man before the Lord, accompanied by the shouts and trumpets of all Israel as they brought the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem.

In Theokinesis, the body and immediate space transform into a living church. Using the creative medium of butoh dance theatre, this practice seeks to liberate the body from everyday constraints, allowing it to move freely and become a sacred offering.

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Adam Koan is a butoh practitioner and performance artist with a history in classical dance. Since 2013, he has toured extensively across the USA, Europe, Mexico, and India, performing and facilitating butoh workshops and intensives. Over the course of his journey, Adam has studied under 43 international butoh and butoh-related guides, shaping his unique approach to his butoh.

Currently, Adam’s work is fully dedicated to Theokinesis—a pedagogy, dance, and performance art project he launched in November 2023.

Adam is also the creator of the Shadowbody Butoh Manual (https://butohmanual.com), an expansive resource designed for those seeking to engage in self-study and deepen their practice in butoh.