In order to grow and expand, the soul needs to choose, to start gaining its own identity. Even if we are all made from the same matter, two souls are not the same: we are all unique. Including the case of twin flames (twin souls) -who share the same core energy split into two principles- each of the two aspects has gone through so many distinct experiences during their different incarnations that no energetic imprint ends up being the same as the other. If we learn how to observe and embrace these diversities between our soul and the others' -while remembering we are all part of a spiritual unity-, the enrichment in our lives will be boundless.
Personally, I would say that the identity of the soul at any moment of incarnation is conformed by three main influences:
- our experiences during that particular lifetime (primarily analysed by Sigmund Freud);
- those carried throughout generations and inherited from our family lineage (unveiled by schools which study Biodecoding and Family Constellations, among others);
- our past lives (largely researched by psychiatrist Brian Weiss).
Regardless the level of awareness that an individual has of each of these influences, their significance on our lives and character is unquestionable.
Throughout history, Butoh has emphasised the riches of each person's background and experiences. This is clear both in the case of Butoh creators Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno, whose works reveal the repercussions of their familial experiences. As for the former, his sister's disappearance and subsequent death was clear in his expressive language and in many of his pieces; to the extent of growing his hair long in her memory. Likewise, Kazuo Ohno immortalised in his performances both his mother in "Watashi no Okāsan" ("My Mother"), and his muse Antonia Mercé in "Admiring La Argentina." In this sense, even if we might be used to a certain esthetics of Butoh (that is, skinny figures painted in white and moving in distorted ways), if turned into stereotypes we will end up in a cage, far from the essence of this form of art. Apart from the connection with their Japanese roots, both Hijikata and Ohno -as well as many other wonderful dancers- had their reasons to paint their skin in white: Ohno as a way of honouring the dead and Hijikata alluding to the freezing weather and undernourishment in his prefecture, Akita, in the North of Japan.
Personally, I would say that the identity of the soul at any moment of incarnation is conformed by three main influences:
- our experiences during that particular lifetime (primarily analysed by Sigmund Freud);
- those carried throughout generations and inherited from our family lineage (unveiled by schools which study Biodecoding and Family Constellations, among others);
- our past lives (largely researched by psychiatrist Brian Weiss).
Regardless the level of awareness that an individual has of each of these influences, their significance on our lives and character is unquestionable.
Throughout history, Butoh has emphasised the riches of each person's background and experiences. This is clear both in the case of Butoh creators Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno, whose works reveal the repercussions of their familial experiences. As for the former, his sister's disappearance and subsequent death was clear in his expressive language and in many of his pieces; to the extent of growing his hair long in her memory. Likewise, Kazuo Ohno immortalised in his performances both his mother in "Watashi no Okāsan" ("My Mother"), and his muse Antonia Mercé in "Admiring La Argentina." In this sense, even if we might be used to a certain esthetics of Butoh (that is, skinny figures painted in white and moving in distorted ways), if turned into stereotypes we will end up in a cage, far from the essence of this form of art. Apart from the connection with their Japanese roots, both Hijikata and Ohno -as well as many other wonderful dancers- had their reasons to paint their skin in white: Ohno as a way of honouring the dead and Hijikata alluding to the freezing weather and undernourishment in his prefecture, Akita, in the North of Japan.
Just as two souls are not the same, two bodies are clearly dissimilar, both in terms of training, morphology, background and culture (among other traits). From my point of view, it would be silly and barren to try to confine all bodies and their movements into a pre established convention just to fill stereotypes. That is to say, we should deeply revisit our preconceptions about what a "butoh body", a "butoh style" or a "butoh aesthetic" is. Even if we dearly admire the performances of certain artists who have chosen to paint themselves in white, keep a skinny figure or move following certain Japanese influences, before actually blindly adopting those models as ours, we really need to search within ourselves for those aspects which truly resonate with them. Otherwise, we will end up executing just a copy, instead of expressing our true selves.
In this regard, far from establishing prefixed formulae, Butoh proposes the inclusion of each person's diversity, such as a painter works with their own palette and textures, and chefs with their signature spices and ingredients. Born as a reaction against the status quo and crystallised structures, the essence of this expression is deeply intertwined with that genuine freedom which arises from the unbounded body. Such as any hero, the main challenge of each dancer is to dare to take that trip into their inner self, face the underlying truth and then bring it back to the surface, to express it. This is an experience that can be nourishing both for those approaching Butoh from a more therapeutical perspective and those confining it to the stage, since the quest for honesty is core in this discipline. As in any heroic journey, this might be hard at times, finding oneself lonely and deviant when not following the mainstream types of movements and clichés. This will be the moment of a genuine breakthrough, since the truthfulness arising from the inside will manifest into a piece of art that will undoubtedly modify the subject and surrounding beings.
In this regard, far from establishing prefixed formulae, Butoh proposes the inclusion of each person's diversity, such as a painter works with their own palette and textures, and chefs with their signature spices and ingredients. Born as a reaction against the status quo and crystallised structures, the essence of this expression is deeply intertwined with that genuine freedom which arises from the unbounded body. Such as any hero, the main challenge of each dancer is to dare to take that trip into their inner self, face the underlying truth and then bring it back to the surface, to express it. This is an experience that can be nourishing both for those approaching Butoh from a more therapeutical perspective and those confining it to the stage, since the quest for honesty is core in this discipline. As in any heroic journey, this might be hard at times, finding oneself lonely and deviant when not following the mainstream types of movements and clichés. This will be the moment of a genuine breakthrough, since the truthfulness arising from the inside will manifest into a piece of art that will undoubtedly modify the subject and surrounding beings.