Heralded as the “Nijinsky of Butoh,” Kasai transcends temporal distinctions in a journey through cultures, epochs and states of being. Kasai begins the performance in a woman’s kabuki costume, and appears to perform a traditional Japanese dance although it is completely improvised. Gradually, Kasai is transformed into a street dancer, a solitary actor and a contemporary traveler. Here, on the outer boundaries of “un-self consciousness,” change is the only constant as butoh morphs into hip-hop. Akira Kasai studied modern dance and classical ballet until meeting Kazuo Ohno in 1963. Kasai then spent the next two decades studying and dancing with Ohno and Tatsumi Hijikata, the founders of butoh. In 1971, he founded Tenshi-Kan, an institute for butoh and esoteric studies in Tokyo. In 1979, Kasai stopped dancing, disbanded his company and school and left for Stuttgart, Germany to study the principles of eurythmy. After graduating from the Eurythmeum in 1983, Kasai returned to Japan in and began to create a highly individual style, which he debuted in 1994 with the work, Seraphita. Since 1999, he has been choreographing Blue Sky Series, an all-female company. His work has toured internationally, including Germany, Korea, Italy, San Francisco and Chicago. AKIRA KASAI Pollen Revolution 10 11 12 13048 PHOTO: HIDEYO TANAKA & TAKAHIRO HACHIKUBO Newmark Theatre, PCPA Fri . Sept 17 . 9 pm Sat . Sept 18 . 9 pm Sun . Sept 19 . 9 pm Running time: 60 min Seating Capacity: 880 $15 members/$20 general All Ages “Nobody dances like him, and nobody can dance like him.The revolution of life takes place in his body.” – The Ashai, Japan Heralded as the “Nijinsky of Butoh,” Kasai transcends temporal distinctions in a journey through cultures, epochs and states of being. Kasai begins the performance in a woman’s kabuki costume, and appears to perform a traditional Japanese dance although it is completely improvised. Gradually, Kasai is transformed into a street dancer, a solitary actor and a contemporary traveler. Here, on the outer boundaries of “un-self consciousness,” change is the only constant as butoh morphs into hip-hop. Akira Kasai studied modern dance and classical ballet until meeting Kazuo Ohno in 1963. Kasai then spent the next two decades studying and dancing with Ohno and Tatsumi Hijikata, the founders of butoh. In 1971, he founded Tenshi-Kan, an institute for butoh and esoteric studies in Tokyo. In 1979, Kasai stopped dancing, disbanded his company and school and left for Stuttgart, Germany to study the principles of eurythmy. After graduating from the Eurythmeum in 1983, Kasai returned to Japan in and began to create a highly individual style, which he debuted in 1994 with the work, Seraphita. Since 1999, he has been choreographing Blue Sky Series, an all-female company. His work has toured internationally, including Germany, Korea, Italy, San Francisco and Chicago.