WEEK 1: THE TAMANOS || April 10-14, 12pm-4pm

Koichi and Hiroko Tamano were among the very first to perform Ankoku Butoh, which translates literally to “the dance of darkness.” The genre emerged in the late 1950s in post-atomic Japan. It was created by two dancers, Kazuo Ohno and Tatsumi Hijikata, who sought to create a new, uniquely Japanese form of expression that completely rebelled against the establishment, and the increasing westernization (capitalization) of Japan. Koichi joined Hijikata’s dance company in 1960 and was named by him “the bowlegged Nijinsky”. Hiroko joined the company a few years later and eventually Hijikata encouraged the Tamanos to introduce butoh to the U.S. The Tamano’s performance in the 1976 “Japan Now” exhibition at SFMOMA was the first Butoh seen by an American audience and made a big sensation. The Tamanos moved their dance company Harupin-Ha from Tokyo to Berkeley, California in 1979 with the blessings and encouragement of their teacher. For decades the Tamanos have brought their particular style of workshop and performance throughout the west, inspiring new generations of artists to express themselves freely and holistically in relationship to the land they live and move upon. Their playful and spirited approach to community and creative life is at the heart of WITD and it is always an honor to bring this butoh Mama and Papa back to our home…where the seeds they sew are guaranteed to bring the wildest and most poetic of dreams.

Saturday April 13, 8pm PERFORMANCE w/Tamanos + Taketeru

Sunday, April 14, 6pm COMMUNITY CELEBRATION & Farm Potluck


WEEK 2: KUDO TAKETERU || April 17-21, 12pm-4pm

“The art of butoh tends to reject anything to do with technique. I did not even intend to ‘take up’ butoh. It depends on what we want to say to the world through the body. The body of a butoh dancer is like an empty vessel, it should be able to contain any material on earth that emerges through the imagery of the movements made.” Says Taketeru Kudo, whose journey in dance took him to study under Koichi Tamano in the US. After appearing on stage with Tamano and Yukio Waguri, he began dancing solo in 1992. Before he established his own troupe, Tokyo Gien-kan, he was a member of the well-known butoh dance troupe Sankai Juku until 1998. Kudo’s work is said to channel the spirit of Jean-Louis Barrault, Vaslav Fomich Nijinsky and Yukio Mishima. About the Workshop he says, “Everyday I look back into the body that I am carrying around. My training is a way to unravel a more free state. The workshop is not only for people who dance, but also for people who want to examine the behavior of the body on stage more precisely, as well as those who are not on stage but wish to develop a deeper sense of their physicality in daily life. It takes a significant time and process to develop the state of dancing we are searching for.”

Saturday April 20, 8pm Solo PERFORMANCE w/ Kudo Taketeru

Sunday, April 21, 6pm COMMUNITY CELEBRATION & Farm Potluck

For pricing we are inspired to use this model by Worts and Cunning. Please follow this link for credit and in-depth information on how it works.

The Sliding Scale: A Tool of Economic Justice

The sliding scale is a tool that allows for the services of our teachers to be obtained at multiple price points based on the circumstances of the purchaser. We believe that teachers deserve to get paid and students deserve classes which recognize the multiple realities of economic access and privilege that exist. Please refer to this graphic and do your best to truthfully select at the price point that most accurately fits your economic reality. There are a limited amount of slots for the two lower price points at the end of the scale. Please be mindful that if you register at the lowest end of the scale when you can truthfully afford a higher registration price, you are limiting access to those who truly need the gift of financial flexibility.

ENTIRE SEMESTER PASS: ALL WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES

$1000 I have extra to share and am willing to pay more to cover someone who pays less.

$900 I am comfortably able to meet all my basic needs; including food, shelter and transportation.

$800 I may stress about meeting my basic needs but regularly achieve them. (limited slots available, first come)

$700 I frequently stress about meeting my basic needs & don’t always achieve them. (limited slots available, first come, with priority for Black, Indigenous, POC and artists with disabilities).

1 WEEK ONLY: Choose TAMANOS or KUDO: 4 days/20 hours of training

$600 I have extra to share and am willing to pay more to cover someone who pays less.

$525 I am comfortably able to meet all my basic needs; including food, shelter and transportation.

$450 I may stress about meeting my basic needs but regularly achieve them. (limited slots available, first come)

$400 I frequently stress about meeting my basic needs & don’t always achieve them. (limited slots available, first come, with priority for Black, Indigenous, POC and artists with disabilities).

DROP-INS $100 per day

• There are a very limited number of partial work-trade opportunities, with priority given to those with an interest in joining the entire Spring Semester. All work-trade will need to be completed before the start of the Semester and will be limited to the following schedule: Fridays from 12-4pm throughout the month of March, or Monday-Friday, April 1st-5th, from 12-4pm. To apply, please fill out this form. ***WORKTRADE OPPORTUNITIES ARE CURRENTLY FULL

• There are a limited number of Drop-in spaces.

• Before registering for a workshop, please review both of these forms: WITD INCLUSIVITY & ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT & WITD LIABILITY WAIVER

• All Registrations are final. While we are unable to offer refunds, you are welcome to personally sell your spot to someone else before the workshop begins.

• For any additional questions or information, please contact Mizu