Minako Seki, Sayoko Onishi and Yumiko Yoshioka belong to the tatoeba - Théâtre Danse Grotesque. Their expressive performance contains elements of contemporary Butoh dance but is also a parable on the Asian world of sensibility and irrationality and the way modern Japanese women see themselves. The central idea for this experimental Butoh dance film are life's metamorphoses. A method of filming was developed which draws the camera right into the intensity of the dance movements. This heightened sensual concentration allows the viewer to correspond intensely with the dance itself. "JU-NI HITOE" is a symbol of ancient Japanese Culture dating back to the 9th century. "JU-NI HITOE" means "the twelve-layered robe" and refers to twelve kimonos worn on top of each other in descending colours, each with gold embroidery. Today these are worn as state garments by the Japanese Emperor and his family on special occasions. For many Japanese women this clothing represents not only the dignity of tradition but also serves as a reminder of the social restrictions of their traditional role. Metres of long trains of material only allow a small, carefully marked sphere of ritualised movement and prevent any form of spontaneity. The garments can be seen as a symbol for a hard exterior protecting a soft centre, but also represent the thick walls and psychological barriers which bind and imprison one's innermost being. The decisive starting point for our film was the desire to make the creation ...
