Ironai-ki: A Night Tour of the Butoh Museum

Photography Session / Butoh Performance - Part of Hokkaidō Butoh Festival

(Jun 21st, 2020)

Tour 1: Performance by Kyokuhoku-kai

Life begins
Again

Again, Again,

生命が明ける
再び

たび たび、

Featured Members (Dancers):

  • 明夜 Aki Yo
  • 髪立ツカサ Tsukasa Kamidate
  • オオタコタロウ Kotarō Ōta
  • 平尾拓也 Takuya Hirao
  • 零ろ型 Model Null-Ro
  • 赤間浩平 Kouhei Akama
  • 山本謙 Ken Yamamoto


Life begins again
In fear and cries
Of desperate love.


生命、また明け
恐れ、鳴りに
必死な愛

Music By:

  • 吉田野乃子 Nonoko Yoshida –
    • Alto Saxophone
  • 嵯峨治彦 Haruhiko Saga –
  • 長内るみ Rumi Osanai –
    • Accordion

I move, and move
Around the sun
The sun around
Behind me

動き、動き、
太陽巡り
太陽も我を
巡り．．．

Life is again
To what relative end?
Move like the river
Cooler and clearer
To the sea
Of song!

生命再び
なんか相対的な意味
川のように動け!
涼しく、清く、
海へ、
唄へ

Directed by: 田中ハル Hal Tanaka

Ancient age
Coming again
The future is old
Before us.

古代時代
再び生き
未来古し
前へ

–浪漫ロマン (RDreher)

Tour 2: Performance by Syv Bruzeau

Captured in Photography and Poem by J.Bard & RDreher

We sit and we watch,
Or are we the watched?

They wade
Through the crowd,
Through the eyes,
Or is it our eyes
That invade?

We sit or we stand,
We crane our necks
Swivel in spot
Glued to the specter
That flows through
Our hollows

They leave their stage,
That circle of space
Carved out around them
When we first filled the room.

They sit – I sit –
We came here to watch,
Take photographs,
But this dance...

It moves
Mindlessly,
Precisely,
Shuffles
And patters
Across the floor,
Surefooted steps,
Growing,
Fading
As it passes
Us by...

Then to the door –
And as it leaves

Nervous glances exchange

Do we follow?
Is it over?
What is next...


Near the door　–　In the back
Now the front
Follow first –

First to sit　–　Nose to toes
Now must stand
Strain to see...

Where are we going?


A dress, a veil
Burdensome
Concealed
Purse at the side
Swinging –

It devolves
The city
– To a stick,
Strips away

– To the final stage...



Outside – the world
The ritual is etched,
As the sun slowly sets,
We converge
Round our priestess
Like her tribe
Like her flock
Foolish and lost
Awaiting the sacrifice
She’s promised us,

The petrichor scent
The dirt and the sweat
Waft through the crowd
Inviting each mouth
To desecrate
The flesh –

Still squirming and fresh
But we all detest

Though we eye her sweet flower.

And so petal by petal
She offers her treasure
And we pick at each bit,
Like vultures.

She stares straight to our eyes
Bites down on our prize,
Decapitates it.



Coming Soon: Full Prose Review by J.Bard

How we scorn the darkness
And devour our life.

– 武羅度ブラッド (J.Bard) 【立会】
– 浪漫ロマン (RDreher) 【詩化】

(July 27th, 2020)

Tour 3: Performance by Hal Tanaka

Captured in Photography and Poem by J.Bard & RDreher

Bruuuubruburbruburbbbbruu
Braba-buba-bruba-buba
Earrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
...gagagaaaaaaa
...aaaaa
...aaagagaga
brubagaga,
burbagaga

Space, space, space, space
Void, oid, oid, oid, oid
I am empty
I am old

I wade slowly
Through the halls
Stairs, the lobby
Through it all...

In my bones
In my bones

Shaking, the air is　―

Duda du-ti du-ti du-ti doo. Dee!
Duda du-ti du-ti du-ti doo. Dee!

...

He stared most angrily,
As if to chide this horrid intrusion.

« Next, second floor!
Come with me! »



Boom, badaboom-boom,
Baadooo!!!

Now the second act of the Myrran Nights
presentation of “Tour 3” staring “Hal Tanaka”

Dwuooodut,
dedwuoodut.
dwdwdwdwdwdwuuuuu...

Narrator: The dancer retreated into the confines of the lavatory, where he could escape – for at least the span of a breath – the whipping glare of the of flashbulb flames.

Dwodudududududu...

And you see, Honey, I... I
Oh my, you aren’t there...

Dadwah! Dwdwdwdw
Duoh!

I tired of all this double-talk!!
I’ll slit that tongue right outa ya throat!!!
I’ll.. I’ll　―

Duda du-ti du-ti du-ti doo. Dee!
Duda du-ti du-ti du-ti doo. Dee!

...

« Next, third floor! »



The wind... the wind... the wind...
It’s in, it’s in, it’s in, it’s in...
I am empty
I am dim

I step slowly
Through the walls
The floor, the ceiling
Through it all

Hear my bones
Hear my bones

Heo-et. He-heoet.
Huweeeeeehuwee...

Quaking, my voice is　―

Awhuuuuuuuuuu....
Awhuuuuuuuuu....
Aaahwhuuu..
Aaahwhuuuu-hooo...

... hoowuuuuu, huwu-hoowu

ghwhhhhhhhwghwhhhhhhh....
ghwhhhwhauooohghwhuu...

Duda du-ti du-ti du-ti doo. Dee!
Duda du-ti du-ti du-ti doo. Dee!

...

« Next, outside!
Come with me! »



Outside | Photo by J.Bard

The fire was burning
Steady, discerning,
The fire was burning
Ready, returning.

The fire was burning,

Urning, urning, urning
Yearning, yearning, yearning
The fire was burning
urning, earning, learning
Burning!

Burning,
BURNING!

The fire was burning
The sax and the churning
Strings set a blaze
Accordion haze
The fire was burning

Narrator: We now conclude the
Myrran Nights presentation of
“Tour 3” staring...

BURNING!!!


Spin around the night alluring.
Spitting flames upon the soaring.
The night is burning!

Not a soul in sight is stirring,
Twist and twined and sweaty swarming –
Burn it all the setting days,
Coronamadness drifts away.

Spin around the night now forming,
Spitting flames upon the storming –
The night is burning!

Burning, urning
Yearning, earning
Burning, burning

Ever BURNING

Life begins,
Begins in burning

Flames of spirit
Forming, yearning

Spin around the night alluring
Flames of spirit
Ever burning

Twist and twined
And sweaty swerving

Life begins
The pyre burning

Burning
Burnin’
Bur
...

Burbur-burbur-burbur
Burbur-bur
Buurning

Burning

Bur

B

b
.
.
.

– 武羅度ブラッド (J.Bard) 【立会】
– 浪漫ロマン (RDreher) 【詩化】

(August 5th, 2020)

Press Coverage by Otaru-journal

📰 Previewing the Event (Japanese)
📰 Reviewing the Event (Japanese)