Barbara Bourget and Jay Hirabayashi, of Kokoro Dance, have been leading their annual Wreck Beach Butoh community dance performances, held each summer at low tide on Vancouver's famous clothing-optional beach, since 1996. In 2015 I drank the Kool-Aid, signed on for the two-week butoh boot camp, and participated in the 20th anniversary performances on July 4th and 5th. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also one of the most rewarding. Plus I got to dance a duet with the amazingly talented Molly McDermott. You can read my blog posts about the rehearsal process—including Barbara's inimitable pedagogical style—starting here. In 2016, I went back for more; the beginning of the narrative of that experience can be accessed here.
