Phantom of Transformation - Hikaru Inagawa

This piece begins with a simple but deeply personal question for me: what is Butoh?

Butoh is a form of stage performance where a trained and sensitive body blends into space, sound, and light, and transforms—almost dreamlike—into many different kinds of matter, from organic to inorganic. It is through this continuous flow of transformation that movement and dance begin to emerge.

In this work, I draw on the style of the picaresque—an episodic, wandering form of storytelling—to create a rich and imaginative world. Today’s reality often feels stranger than fiction, but I believe that the stage holds another kind of reality: one that is dreamlike, poetic, and slightly distorted.

There’s no need to overthink anything. Just let go of your everyday thoughts, and allow yourself to enter this world through my body. You can immerse yourself in it and simply enjoy the experience.

We’re about to begin.
I look forward to meeting you on stage—inside the work.

Butoh: Hikaru Inagawa

Concept, direction, choreography, stage design, light & sound design: Hikaru Inagawa
Costume: Maco
Sound & lighting operator: Rareș Grozea
Production assistant: Adina Mohr

Production: 4RUDE