Joan Laage, Artistic Director of Dappin’ Butoh since 1991, moved to Seattle after studying under butoh masters Kazuo Ohno and Yoko Ashikawa in Japan, and performing in Ashikawa’s group, Gnome. She has taught butoh workshops in the Seattle area for over 10 years and has been a guest artist at Ohio State University, the University of Georgia, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and UNITEC in New Zealand.