The Heart of Sankai Juku
In conversation with Ushio Amagatsu

Available online from 6 Sep 2024, 12 pm to 1 Jan 2025, 12 pm.

The legendary founder of butoh dance company Sankai Juku spent nearly five decades crafting deeply meditative performances that explore the themes of existence, transcendence and the human experience. The late Ushio Amagatsu’s work is celebrated for its profound exploration of the body’s relationship with the world.

In The Heart of Sankai Juku, recorded in 2014 when he spoke at Esplanade’s ConversAsians conference, Amagatsu discussed his philosophy on dance as an expression of tension and gravity. He also shared his choreographic methods and why he felt dancers should be involved in all aspects of stagecraft such as creating the set. His distinctive approach places emphasis on the dancers’ awareness of their bodies and emotions, resulting in movements that are both liberating and grounded.

Amagatsu’s legacy endures through creations that transport audiences into realms of contemplation and introspection. The Heart of Sankai Juku offers a glimpse into the mind of a storyteller, whose visual poetry will captivate long after the final curtain falls.

The Heart of Sankai Juku is a companion screening to TOTEM – Void and Height, Amagatsu’s last choreographic work, staged as part of da:ns focus – Connect Asia Now (CAN) on 4–6 Oct 2024.

The audio quality of the video is from the original 2014 footage, which was recorded for archival purposes.