Kokoro Dance trains dancers through classes at Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver (927 Granville Street; tel. 604-684-9542). Dancers receive technical training in both western modern dance and in butoh aesthetics through regular classes taught by Barbara Bourget and Jay Hirabayashi. When funding permits, Kokoro Dance invites renowned butoh artists to conduct workshops. In past years, Kokoro Dance has benefited from workshops with Koichi Tamano, Hiroko Tamano, Natsu Nakajima, Minoru Hideshima, Masahide Ohmori, Gustavo Collini-Sartor, Denise Fujiwara, Itto Morita, Yukio Waguri, SU-EN, Lori Ohtani and Dan Hermon, Diego Piñón, Yumiko Yoshioka, Tadashi Endo, Taketeru Kudo, and Yoshito Ohno.

Our modern and butoh dance classes build strength, flexibility, and stamina, as well as developing technical and performance skills. The difference between the two types of classes reflects the different approaches to the same end taken by Barbara and Jay. Barbara's classes focus on technical training and have a consistent structure from warm-up to movement in space. Jay's classes are more eclectically varied and include more time for improvisational exploration. The two approaches complement each other and dancers are recommended to take both.

RATES:

Drop in rate:
$15/class.

Kokoro Dance Member rate:
$120/Ten class card (annual Kokoro Dance membership: $32)

SCHEDULE:

Jay Hirabayashi teaches Butoh Zen Jazz Dance

Please note: Jay will not be teaching between May 28th to June 5th, 2013 as he will be in Montreal.

Barbara Bourget teaches Modern Dance Technique

*These classes are taught through Harbour Dance Centre. Harbour Dance Annual membership is $30. Drop in rate is $19 for non-members; $17 for HDC members; $16 for professionals. Ten class card: $165; Twenty class card: $315.

All classes are held at Harbour Dance Centre, 927 Granville Street, Vancouver.

For more information, call the Kokoro Dance office at (604) 662-7441 or Harbour Dance Centre at (604) 684-9542.

18th Annual Wreck Beach Butoh Workshop

July 8 - 21, 2013

Wreck Beach Butoh has been performed annually by Kokoro Dance for the past seventeen years. It is one of our favourite performances but also a test of the stamina and spirit of our performers. This intensive two week long butoh performance workshop is open to anyone who is willing to work physically hard and to face challenging performing conditions. Two-hour-long morning classes are followed by three-hour-long studio rehearsals in the afternoons. The performances on July 20th and 21st, 2013 are in the nude, rain or shine. Conditions on the beach are primal and challenging. First time participants pay a one time fee of $400 + $48 HST + annual $32 registration fee ($480 CDN total) [note: HST in BC ends March 31, 2013 after which date, we will charge 5% GST only so tax will be reduced to $20 and total fee will be $452 CDN]. After the first year, returning participants can take part for only the $32 annual registration fee.

To get more information or to register, please download the registration form (Adobe Acrobat format) or call 604.662.7441. For information on Wreck Beach visit http://www.wreckbeach.org/.

Kokoro Dance Auditions

On-going auditions

Dancers interested in working with Kokoro Dance are advised to take classes from Barbara Bourget and Jay Hirabayashi. Most of our dancers come from our own training practice. Please introduce yourself to Barbara and Jay and indicate your interest in pursuing a professional relationship with the company. Kokoro Dance hires dancers on a project basis. We also accept apprentice students.