Murobushi Kō spread all over the world a new sensation of dance and is an outstanding figure in the landscape of butō for having perpetuated the exploration of the political quality intrinsic to Hijikata Tatsumi’s anti-dance. In doing so, Murobushi attempted to challenge the image of butō itself and to continuously remap corporeality. His counter-discourse and artistic investigation elaborated critical assessments of identity, body and dance in relation to knowledge, gender, society, politics, ideology and religion.
Under analysis are paradoxical configurations rising from a confrontation between his early practice of shugendō and his anti-religious attitude, his influence outside Japan and his critical attitude towards a stereotyped image of butō. It is also demonstrated how practices of self-mummification, the “outside” and his anti-dance of immobility are intimately concatenated in an impossible project.
This work is the first attempt of a comprehensive study on Murobushi’s history, thought, dance and writings.