Workshop: Butoh Dance with Kevin Starbard and Tomoko Ide 

Saturday, 5/30/2026
1:00 - 2:00
Ortega Meeting Room
Ortega

3223 Ortega Street
San Francisco, CA 94122
United States

415-355-5700

Butoh is a form of Japanese Dance theater that emerged in the late 1950s as a reaction against the Western-influenced and traditional dance styles of post-war Japan. Often called the "Dance of Darkness" (Ankoku Butoh), it focuses on the raw, primal, and often dark aspects of the human condition rather than the grace and athleticism typical of ballet or modern dance.

Butoh dance has spread all around the world, and non-Japanese dancers have also discovered the richness of this performing art.

This presentation will include an introduction to Butoh by Kevin Starbard, who started a magazine dedicated to Butoh, tsubushi butoh journal, in Tokyo, in 1990, and a short performance by dancer Tomoko Ide, who has studied with Bay Area based Butoh masters, Koichi and Hiroko Tamano. 

Dance & Music

Enjoy performances, talks and workshops that celebrate movement and the musical arts.

Community & Neighborhood

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Weaving Stories: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Interest

Programs and workshops, book recommendations and more relating to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) heritage.

Weaving Stories is the Library's celebration of the many diverse histories and cultures from AANHPI communities.

Performance

Events featuring theater, music, art and dance.

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

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This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

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