"Blink" to perform at the Sharon Disney Theater

February 28, 2013
LA Weekly

Five Dance Shows to See in L.A. This Week, Including Huck Finn Going Butoh

By Ann Haskins

This week's events include a New York transplant's local debut and a Mark Twain character mixing with a Japanese dance form.

5. Huck Finn goes butoh
Oguri is arguably L.A.'s most recognized proponent of the dance genre of butoh and, with his Body Weather Laboratory, responsible for expanding the understanding of and appetite for this hypnotically slow, mesmerizing, sometimes apocalyptic dance form. This edition of BWL's annual Flower of the Season finds Oguri joined by Yasunari Tamai from Japan for the local premiere of Notaway-Quest for Freedom. Both Oguri and Tamai trained and danced with Japan's Min Tanaka, a seminal figure in the development of butoh in post World War II Japan. Notaway takes its inspiration from Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Huck's travels that had no specific destination, just away from where he was--not unlike butoh's travels away from classical Japanese dance. Frequent Oguri collaborator Wadada Leo Smith provides music, performed live by Smith's Golden Quartet at the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Fri., March 1, 8 p.m., Sat., March 2, 5 & 8 p.m., Sun., March 3, 3 p.m.; $22 in advance, $25 at door; $17 students, seniors & under 18 years. www.brownpapertickets.com. (310) 306-1854. www.electriclodge.org.

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