Happy Birthday Kazuo Ohno!

Kazuo Ohno, one of the founders of Butoh, was born this day in 1906 in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan. I am so grateful for his life and art every day! Currently, I am reading Kazuo Ohno’s World from Without and Within, by Kazuo and his son Yoshito. I open to a random page every day and today opened to “Some Background” in Chapter 4, which features an amazing photograph from 1973 of Kazuo entering a pigsty in striped pants and a loud patterned shirt. The pig is really checking him out confusedly and it made me laugh out loud! This is why Butoh is so wonderful; it makes one laugh, cry, be uncomfortable or finally for once feel understood. Thank you Kazuo for this gift and happy birthday!