“When Michelangelo was asked how he created a piece of sculpture, he answered that the statue already existed within a marble. God had already created the Pieta, David, Moses… Michelangelo's job as he saw it was to get rid of the excess marble which surrounded God's creation.”

Butoh master Akira Kasai describes consciousness as energy. In his Ephesus Eurythmic dance technique, he teaches students to activate inner/outer listening senses and to generate the energy of consciousness. Then, the energy of consciousness moves you. He often discusses with us, “I dance or I am danced”. In Butoh, I have to make myself fully available for that to come in.

I imagine Michelangelo listening internally, so carefully to create the Pieta and David.

In dance, the patterns and habitual movements are the marble, consciousness is the sculptor. It is interesting that in Japanese culture, Goddess “Kannon” writes as “観音” which means the “Seer of Sound”.
A dancer chiseled by the Seer of the Sound...

A Prayer for World Peace a short art film directed and performed by Mariko Endo, videographed by Fred Hatt, music composed by Dary John Mizelle. Text by Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, permitted to use by M.A.Center.

A founder of Butoh, Tastumi Hijikata observed people with disabilities carefully and pondered upon dance aesthetics and movements. Hijikata said, "Western dance begins with its feet firmly planted on the ground whereas Butoh begins with a dance wherein the dancer tries in vain to find his feet"

Butoh starts by asking what is moving you? A student delves into a body with imagination… is it the earth such as rock, lava, soil or water that is shaping and moving your body? Is it human emotions like sadness that barely hold you up?

"In other forms of dance such as classical dance, the movements are derived from a fixed technique; they are imposed from the outside and are conventional in form. In my case, it's the contrary, my dance is far removed from conventions and techniques ..."

-Tastumi Hijikata

Many years ago, I had a chance to study with a nationally recognized Yoga teacher Matthew W Sanford. Mr. Sanford has been paraplegic since the age of 13. He explains senses as a “consciousness which 'hums' throughout an awakened body”. While I was taking a wide legged standing pose, he gave me an adjustment by putting his hands on top of my femur bones with gentle pressure. I started to feel as if my bones became thicker and vibrating. It was a clear, awakened sensation in my bones, but not muscular at all. Then he smiled and said, "You see? That is how ‘I’ feel my legs". He who has been paraplegic since the age of 13 feels his legs in such a way!

"It is the unveiling of the inner life"

-Tatsumi Hijikata

What is a Body? How much more to reveal the inner life within?