Wayward Music Series: Kogut Butoh – Refugee
$10-$20 suggested donation
- Randy Shay, piano
- Aaron Harmonson, electric bass
- Kaoru Okumura, butoh dance
- Helen Thorsen, butoh dance
A world in chaos, multitudes of people displaced, frozen in place or constantly moving. Refugee is the latest in Joan's body of work inspired by the aftermath of war and the urge to find a safer, saner place to live. Earlier works are The Suitcases Project (Snoqualmie Depot and Issaquah Depot), Stations (solo), Black Angels (Dappin' Butoh Troupe) and Nothing Lasts But Memory (solo). All the travel journeys, especially in Europe over many years, the waiting in stations – train, ship, air. Where have all these travelers come from and where are they going and even more so – why?
About Wayward Music Series
Each month, Nonsequitur and a community of like-minded organizations and artists present 10 concerts of adventurous and experimental music in the gorgeous Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center: contemporary/post-classical composition, free improvisation and the outer limits of jazz, electronic/electroacoustic music, new instruments, phonography, sound art, and other innovative musics.
https://www.waywardmusic.org/About Joan Laage (Kogut Butoh)
Known as Kogut Butoh, Joan Laage has been performing and teaching butoh and collaborating with area and international performers since she settled in Seattle in 1990 after studying butoh with masters in Tokyo. Collaborations include Amy Denio, Rob Angus, Noisepoetnobody, Stephen Fandrich, Jeff Greinke, Scott Adams and Seattle Kokon Taiko. Her group Dappin’ Butoh was well-known in the Seattle Fringe Theater Festival for 10 years. Joan is a co-founder of DAIPANbutoh Collective (since 2010), which produces an annual butoh festival. Her background includes contemporary dance, traditional Indian and Indonesian dance and music and yoga. Her work is influenced by her years of practicing Tai Chi and her profession as a gardener. This past two summers Joan has been performing free outdoor events with Michael Shannon, David Stanford, Joey Largent, and others on area beaches and in public and private gardens. She also created the Keeping Afloat Project with dancers performing on our lakes' docks and swimming platforms.
http://www.seattlebutoh-laage.comAbout Randy Shay, piano
Randy Shay, a Seattle resident for over 20 years, is a versatile composer/singer/songwriter whose main instruments are piano and guitar, but also bass, mandolin, viol, and zither. He plays original solo compositions at art openings and meditation/dance events and has played in groups such as African music band Spirit of Ojah, folk & blues with Jimmy Free as Acoustic Snacks, and the multi-genre duo Tones with Kirk McNaught. A few influences are: Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Paco De Lucia, Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar, Bob Marley, Ralph & Carter Stanley, Bill Monroe, JS Bach, Dominico Scarlatti, Ray Charles, Robert Johnson, BB King, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, John Lennon. Joan and Randy have been neighbors for 15 years during which Randy has attended all of her Homestages and other performances. Now he’s looking forward to their first collaboration of many.
http://www.randyshay.com/About Aaron Harmonson, electric bass
Based out of Seattle, WA, Aaron performs with Von Wildenhaus, Randy Weeks, Kristin Allen-Zito, Louis Ledford, Country Dave Harmonson, Bar Tabac, Robert Blake, The Jukehouse Hounds, Caitlin Sherman, Michael Zabrek’s Proud and Nasty, The Flaming Pies, Smoke Tough Johnny, and Lincoln Barr.
https://aaronharmonson.wordpress.com/About Kaoru Okumura, butoh dance
Kaoru Okumura is a Japanese Butoh performer based in Seattle, US. A fan of Butoh since the 1970s, Kaoru studied Butoh in 1993 at Asbestos-Kan in Tokyo with Akiko Motofuji, the wife of one Butoh’s originators, Tatsumi Hijikata. This is where Kaoru first performed. She started Butoh activities in Seattle in 2008.
http://kaoruokumura.com/About Helen Thorsen, butoh dance
Helen Thorsen has a BA in Dance from Columbia College, with an emphasis in contemporary dance & dance therapy. She has a background of study that includes Butoh, Graham technique, Effort/Shape Laban dance, Yoga, Tai Chi, Skinner Releasing, Ballet and Pilates. Her work is grounded in universal principals of open heartedness, acceptance and presence.
Thorsen was Artistic Director of 627 Space in Chicago. She was also a founding member of Yuni Hoffman Dance Theater and Dappin’ Butoh in Seattle. Her choreography has been viewed widely in Seattle and Chicago. With Mary Cutrera she co-founded LastLeg Dance , which produces their choreography and supports emerging dance and aerial art in Seattle. Ms. Thorsen is managing director of DAIPANbutoh Collective.