Kazuo Ohno
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| Kazuo Ohno | |
| Born | October 27, 1906  Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Butoh dancer |
Kazuo Ohno (or Ohno Kazuo, 大野一雄) (born October 27, 1906) is a Japanese dancer associated with Butoh. He has become a guru and inspirational figure. It has been written of him that his very presence is an "artistic fact."
He was born in Hakodate, Hokkaido, and began formal study of dance in 1933, not long after seeing the dancer La Argentina. Roughly 50 years later, he paid homage to her with his solo performance entitled "Admiring La Argentina."
He began in 1960 to work directly with Hijikata Tatsumi, who may be said to be the originator of Butoh technique. Ohno, on the other hand, was less a technician and choreographer and more of a solo performer. Ohno and Hijikata form the nucleus of what has become known as Butoh. Students who have spent time with Ohno generally seem to be more eclectic and individual in approach.
Now mostly confined to a wheelchair, Ohno taught and performed with his son Yoshito well into his nineties.
In October 2006, soon after Ohno's 100th birthday, Kyoto-based publisher Seigensha released a photography book in homage to Ohno featuring photographs by Eikoh Hosoe entitled "The Butterfly Dream".
Ohno's studio is currently open for students to attend. Classes are directed by Yoshito.
