Notes

"The dance form that's not light on its feet" by Kevin Griffin ("Vancouver Sun"):
"As a dance form that originated in Japan after the country was devastated by the Second World War, butoh rejected ideas of athleticism and beauty found in western dance. As it evolved in the years since then, butoh has became a movement esthetic that works with gravity rather than against it.
"For me, butoh is a dialogue with gravity," said Ushio Amagatsu, artistic director of the Tokyobased butoh company Sankai Juku in an interview before a 2006 tour of North America. "If European/ American dance is based on the concept of 'being free from gravity,' maybe we can say that in contrast, my dance is based on that of 'sympathizing or synchronizing' with gravity.' "