Description

According to Murobushi, Tatsumi Hijikata was approached about the invitation to France at first. However, he rejected the matter flatly since he didn’t like flying. Dairakudakan had that opportunity too, but Akaji Maro preferred to go with a large group of about forty members and also refused. Murobushi himself, who was taking part in Dairakudakan as a producer at the time, went to Paris for research. He asked to dance at a cabaret in Paris during that journey. The newly-opened cabaret Jardin on Champs-Elysées accepted his request. Consequently, he traveled to France with Carlotta Ikeda and Mizelle Hanaoka (refer to the page on Dernier Eden for the details). His Dernier Eden achieved a longrun with a full audience for every performance, even though it was performed at midnight in February. This success took a main role which made “Danse de tenebere”—directly translated from Ankoku Butoh—into Butoh. After that, Murobushi visited Paris again, fully prepared, with all members and staff of Compaigne Ariadone, as an artistic director. 

The one who succeeded was Carlotta herself, and I, Murobushi, was her choreographer. Butoh prevailed in Paris as Ariadone’s Zarathustra became a hit, along with the introduction of Sankaijuku to Theater-de-la-Ville. I was a director, but simultaneously I was performing solos at Maison de Cultures Monde. I was asked to hold an experimental festival, since Butoh was considered an avant-garde art, by a small theater called Espase Quilon, and performed BUTO ’85. Zarathustra was not performed only in France, but also in Germany, Italy, London, northern Europe, then eventually across Europe and even in Israel.

From his speaking

This is a revised version of the encore version, which was fully changed for the journey to France. It was also revised in 2005.

translation

Ikuya Odamaki