I first met Ken Mai in Buenos Aires, in April 2013. Two apparently opposite traits called my attention at first: his simplicity and his extravagance. Even though they might seem incompatible, in Ken's persona they represent the same expression of the self. His trendy / rock starish / eclectic look is not simply a fashion statement; in fact, it is not superficial at all: it expresses his inherent gift of having become an alchemist, of being able to merge his different faces, influences and passions without forcing them to fit. So has been his life: a continuous flow of desires which have led him to find his inner truth through the combination of different cultures, perspectives and disciplines: "I wanted to be a monk but then I decided to be a dancer. I practised Zen at a Monastery and temples, both in Kyoto and Nara for about 16 years, not everyday but sometimes, especially in my local temple which was very close to my house in Kyoto. I also studied martial arts and gymnastics since I was 8 years old, and at the same time Rock drums! What I later realized was that when I was studying gymnastics, martial arts (Karate, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Taichi), acting, drums, Zen, modern dance (Neue Tanz-german expressionist dance), Laban method, Noguchi Taiso, etc... I was already getting prepared to become a Butoh dancer!! In my opinion and personal experience, it is much faster to understand about body, mind and the spiritual side through the whole experience of various art forms".
Q: I understand that before becoming a photographer, you were a running trainer. To what extent do you think that this activity has had an impact on your perspective about dance? Have you been able to confirm certain specific differences between a moving body and a dancing body? A: Yes, before delving into photography I was at first an athlete since 1976 (400m runner in Marathon), but also a coach for 17 years. This experience has developed my sense of observation. In athletics -as in dance- we search for an accurate movement as well as a certain gestural perfection, which in sport will allow the athlete to improve their performance, and in dance will bring aesthetics. The approaches, even if they are very close in their implementation (training, repetition), can also be very different in their objectives. At the same time, the two worlds and lifestyles of athletes and dancers are quite similar: the strictness and discipline that they induce are omnipresent. I confess I was not particularly disoriented during my first confrontations with dance.
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Nyx Blog
Butoh, Art, Tarot, Spirituality, Mythology, Philosophy & much more! Author
Luciana Sayanes is a performing artist, teacher and author, aiming to share perspectives on Butoh Art & Spitituality. Archives
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