Abstract

Drawing on avant garde and classical Japanese dance traditions, the Alishina Method offers a systematized approach to Butoh dance training for the first time in its history. With practical instruction and fully illustrated exercises, this book teaches readers:
· basic body training and expression exercises
· exercises to cultivate Qi (energy) and to aid improvisation
· about katas (forms) and how to develop your own
· the importance of voice, sound and music in Butoh
· to collaborate and be in harmony with others
· techniques to manipulate time and space
· how to develop the imagination and refine the senses to enrich performance.
This authentic approach to Japanese dance will be compelling reading for anyone interested in contemporary dance, performance arts, Japanese culture or personal development techniques.

Born in Kobe, Japan, in 1963, Juju Alishina is a Japanese dancer and choreographer. She has trained in traditional Japanese dance and Butoh. In 1990 in Tokyo, she founded her own dance company, NUBA, in the pursuit of a new style of Butoh. In 1998, Juju Alishina moved her company to Paris and since then has developed her own methods, beyond Butoh dance, both in Paris and abroad. She has also taught Japanese dance (traditional and Butoh) in universities in the USA and has lead several artistic and educational activities worldwide. This book was first published in Japan in 2010 and the French translation followed in February 2013.
Juju Alishina is an important and bold cultural innovator and searing performer. This writing captures the grace and power of Juju's teaching through clear exercises that offer students and teachers alike entrée into a form of Butoh infused with traditional Japanese movement practices. Rich with imagery, these lessons are layered with the wisdom, experience, and deep research of a master.
Andrew Belser, Professor, MFA program, and Director, Arts & Design Research Incubator, Penn State University