Immerse yourself in the fascinating aesthetics and physicality of Butoh dance while utilizing improvisation to explore interstellar/intergalactic themes. Dancers will be guided to use aspects of Butoh to explore ideas of space and time, create physical movements inspired by interstellar phenomena, and approach the dancing body from a non-western perspective that emphasizes mindful movement and interconnectedness with nature. The dance material is the essence of our bodies: water, air, bone, muscle, and skin—leading us into form and texture through a flow of sensations in space, time, and dynamics.

The workshop draws from choreographer Iván Espinosa 13-year dance training and research in Butoh with many renowned Japanese master teachers, as well as his background as a PhD scholar specializing in Butoh history and philosophy. The workshop will include exercises adapted from the unique imagery-based choreographic language of Butoh-Fu, along with specific interstellar/intergalactic imagery from outer space to foster creativity and range of movement.

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Iván Espinosa is a Latino dance choreographer specializing in Japanese Butoh. Iván is currently a PhD Candidate in Theatre and Performance Studies, and he also holds a Master's Degree in Performance Studies from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University (NYU). Iván began studying Butoh in 2013 and has trained with many renowned Japanese master teachers from the lineage of Butoh founder Tatsumi Hijikata including Natsu Nakajima, Saga Kobayashi, Koichi Tamano and Hiroko Tamano, Semimaru and Dai Matsuoka of SANKAI JUKU, and Moe Yamamoto of Kanazawa Butoh-Kan. In 2025, Iván was awarded a grant from the CU Center for Asian Studies to travel to Japan for intensive Butoh research at Keio University Art Center’s Hijikata Archive in Tokyo. Iván is the founder of the SALISH SEA BUTOH FESTIVAL, an annual dance convergence that brings together hundreds of artists from around the world to deepen the study Butoh on the Olympic Peninsula.