Yukio Waguri

Yukio Waguri was born in Tokyo in 1952. In 1972, he became the pupil of’ Tatsumi Hijikata. He established his own group Yukio Waguri +Kohzensha, releasing solo and group dance works in Tokyo. Waguri inherited and developed Hiikata’s method of choreographic notation, which evokes body image through language. He isknown for his solid and lithe body, beautiful shape, and rich expressive power. He collaborates closely with musical and theatrical artists and is highly praised as a dance designer and a stage director. He released the CD-ROM, Butoh- Kaden in 1998, which was re- released in 2006.

Yukio Waguri, the artistic director and founder of Kohzensha Butoh Company, started dancing in Tatsumi Hijikata’s company in 1972 and was the main male dancer in Hijikata’s Asbestos-kan from 1972 to 1978. Since his stage debut in Hijikata’s 1973 piece 27 Nights for Four Seasons, Waguri kept notes on Hijikata’s teaching and choreography. These words are called butoh-fu: Hijikata’s unique method for choreographic notation. Waguri has made his own interpretation of these butoh-fu and continues using them as a method for his own choreography and teaching. When choreographing and teaching Waguri focuses upon the transformion of the self into imagery rather than the depiction of imagery through movement. Waguri has produced a CD-ROM to explain and illustrate Hijikata’s butoh-fu through text, poetry, images and video.

Waguri has performed and taught around the world for over 25 years: from Lithuania (at the RIBA Festival) to Australia (at the International Workshop Festival) to Montreal (at the Vancouver International Dance Festival). Waguri currently holds professorships in dance at both Waseda University and Keio University. Yukio Waguri’s website: http://www.otsukimi.net/koz/