Photo: Sho Sugano
Mother Forest
14 November 2026 | The Place, London
Mother Forest is a striking once-in-a-lifetime ensemble piece, in which three generations of butoh lineage come together in an homage to Kazuo Ohno (one of the key founding figures of butoh) and his philosophy of dance as something spontaneous and unrepeatable. The group is led by Mitsuyo Uesugi, who trained and performed alongside Ohno for several decades, and she is joined by four extraordinary artists: Makiko Takamatsu, Seiji Tanaka and the MUTSUMINEIRO duo, who have each been shaped by Uesugi’s practice whilst bringing their own fierce, distinctive voices to this living continuation of Ohno's spirit.
We are on the brink of stepping into a new realm, towards the Mother Forest...
This is an homage to the butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno.
Half a century ago... Perhaps even longer.
At the rehearsal studio in Kamihoshikawa, Mr. O opened a book of Bosch paintings: “The Garden of Earthly Delights”, “The Last Judgement”...
He held his hand over the pages, tenderly tracing the images with his fingers.
“I am in here. Hidden within everything. This is the kind of dance I want to do.”
Mr. O’s soul was parched. I spent so long in that space with him.
Do we have the courage to take this on now?
No, no doubts. Our chance has come. There is nothing to fear.
Because this project has now begun, and while we have our generational differences, Mr. O’s ideas are etched into our bodies
Growing as Desire.
Let us play on the palm of Mr. O’s hand, clinging to each finger
With our own thirst and passion, mayhaps even to a world of despair.
But now, let us be led, delicately, boldly,
into a world of fables, brimming with mystery.
“The world is created within this transparent glass sphere.”*
— Mitsuyo Uesugi
*from Kambara Masaaki's Reading Bosch's 'The Garden of Earthly Delights'
Photos: Gen Kasuga & Sho Sugano
