Established in 2008, New York Butoh Kan (NYBK) was an effort to strengthen resources for the study of Butoh and Noguchi gymnastics in New York. The NYBK Training Initiative facilitated rigorous physical training, enriching students with the first person historical context of Butoh from international masters. The NYBK endeavors to set forth an integrative training opportunity for the dancer, actor, and/or interdisciplinary performer, creating a platform for the future development of new work. It was the only program in the United States that was dedicated to the study, exploration, and expansion of the practice of this potent contemporary form, which challenges conventional definitions of dance/theater. The Noguchi Gymnastics Method is a base technique for Butoh training. It encompasses a philosophy and set of exercises developed by Michizo Noguchi in the 1960s, based on a unique concept of perceiving the human body as a sack of water (skin) in which the bones and organs are floating.
