KAYO MIKAMI (MRS)
PhD, Butoh dancer, dance researcher, Associate professor at Kyoto Seika University,
director of Torifune Butoh- Sha
1976 Graduated from the Faculty of Japanese Literature, the National Ochanomizu
Women’s University, Japan
1978-81 Trained at Tatsumi Hijikata’s Ankoku Butoh studio
1982-97 Trained at Michizo Noguchi’s athletic studio
1991 Graduated from the Graduate School (majoring dance education) of the
National Ochanomizu Women’s University
1997 Graduated from National Ochanomizu Women’s University Graduate School
and obtained PhD by A Developed Study of Tatsumi Hijikata
Lectures, performances and workshops
1988 at 21st CORD Conference at Toronto, Canada（sponsored by Japan Foundation）
1993 at Salle Poirel Theatre in Nancy, France, and Avignon Theatrical Festival
1993 at 1st World Dance Congress in San Francisco
1994 at New York State University and Ohio State University and at La Mama Grand Theater in New York City,U.S.A. （sponsored by Japan Foundation）
1994 at International Performing Arts Festival in Permi, Russia
at International Performing Arts Festival in Spoleto, Milan citizen Festival
1996 Butoh performing tour to Europe（sponsored by Japan Foundation）, Japan-Italy in Italy and Spain,Greece（at the relics of the ancient amphitheater in Argos）
performance and lecture tour to East Europe（sponsored by Japan Foundation） , at Prague Castle, Hukvaldy World Heritage Memorial Theater in Czech. Japan-Czech Joing Performance in Bruno. Lecture and workshop at Ljubljana University, Slovenij, and Czech National Ostrava Conservatoire
Edinburgh art Festival, Scotland
2002 performance tour to East Europe（sponsored by Japan Foundation）Japan-Slovenija Joint Performance in Ljubljana and Rijeka
Books and dissertations
1990 Deconstruction – A Study of Tatsumi Hijikata (the Dance Study Magazine published by Dance Academy) , 90 Self Abandonment, 91 Style of Butoh and how it was established.
This was the first firsthand material of Butoh dance and the academic researches of Butoh started with Butoh Scores.
1991 A Study of Tatsumi Hijikata- an Approach to Butoh Technique (master thesis to the National Ochanomizu’s Women’s University)
This considered Hijikata’s theories and techniques through his philosophy concerning the world, the human body and arts. His life and historical and geographical background were described. His unique method of choreography by words led me to invent a new concept of ‘language, images and body’ for analyzing Butoh. Also the thesis dealt with Hijikata’s most famous thesis “the human body is a corpse standing upright desperately.”
1993 The Human Body as a Vessel or an Approach to Tatsumi Hijikata’s Ankoku Butoh (ANZ Publishers, Tokyo)
Based on the master thesis this was for the general readers being supplemented with Butoh Score including his Butoh poetry and his way of words training.
1997 A Study of Tatsumi Hijikata or an Approach to the Techniques of Ankoku Butoh
(the doctoral thesis to the National Ochanomizu Women’s University)
This was a development of my master thesis which included the analysis of the relationship between his book The Dancing Girl in Sickness and his creation of Butoh works. It dealt with Butoh Scores of his last workshop two months before his sudden death. The concept of deconstruction of the human body was resterssed.
2001 Mikami et al. How to Live with your Body or Five Pieces of Advice for Developing your Body, your Sensation and your Movements (Sobun Kikaku Publishers, Tokyo), My teachers were Tatsumi Hijikata and Michizo Noguchi． As a loyal disciple of both of these great pioneers I analyzed the two important concepts ‘bondage’ and ‘release’.
2002 Deconstruction of the Human Body−How the human body looks like from the viewpoint of Tatsumi Hijikata’s Aankoku Butoh (a presentation at the International Conference of Ethnology and Anthropology in Tokyo, Japan)
I tried to analyze Hijikata’ s philosophy through my own experiences as Butoh dancer. These will lead us to develop the perspectives of the 21st century beyond the differences of nations, countries and ethnics.