EXODUS BUTOH LAB SERIES with Mutsumi and Neiro (Barcelona, May 30–31, 2026) is an immersive Butoh Laboratory workshop that invites participants into a process of constant departure rather than arrival, exploring dance as a way of being rather than a technique to master. Rooted in the life-practice and philosophy of Butoh as transmitted by Yoshito Ohno, this lab offers solo and group explorations, guided improvisation, and silent observation to unlearn form, reveal presence, and encounter the unknown through the body. Led by the acclaimed Japanese duet MUTSUMINEIRO—known internationally for their poetic, fragile, and dreamlike performances—the workshop is open to all who are willing to engage sincerely, offering not choreography but a deepened sense of body, space, and the mystery of being alive, where dancer and dance become one.

 EXODUS BUTOH WORKSHOP LAB SERIES MUTSUMI NEIRO 

The workshop does not promise arrival, but rather constant departure towards the unknown. The “EXODUS” Butoh Laboratory is not designed to teach
technique or reproduce form—it is a process of unlearning, confronting, and revealing.

Participants are invited to experience dance as a condition of being. Participants will not walk away with choreography or repertoire—but with a revealed sense of body, space, and the mystery of being alive.

It is a meeting into dance as life, and life as a continuous, open-ended exodus. Never get caught by your wish to put the meaning on it. Let it just dance!!

Dancer is dance, dance is dancer.

Everything of your life is your dance.

It is an exploration for your dance, harbouring extravagant possibilities.

This workshop is open to everyone, but demands sincere engagement. Each day includes solo and group explorations, guided improvisation, and silent observation.

Mutsumi and Neiro studied with Yoshito Ohno(1938-2020), who was there since before the name “Butoh” was given. They are recognised experts in Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio’s legacy, which encompasses Butoh’s life practice and philosophy, alongside their contemporary approach, offering a unique experience and perspective on presence for all human beings.
www.mutsumineiro.com

PRICES AND REGISTRATION: ON THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE.

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MUTSUMINEIRO

Japanese Butoh Duet, Neiro and Mutsumi. Since first meeting at the Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio in 2012, Neiro and Mutsumi have performed together as MUTSUMINEIRO—a duet in pursuit of what they call “an idiotic blessing moment”: fragile, foolish, beautiful. Their collaboration, rooted in Butoh, invites audiences into dreamlike landscapes of movement, where time seems suspended and the body becomes a body to let memory, intimacy, and the unknown appear. Their signature work, «Tonight or Never….», was conceived as a wedding of souls—an eternal dance inspired by the blooming flowers in Marc Chagall’s paintings. This piece toured Japan, UK, Poland, Israel, Germany, Brazil, and Ecuador captivating audiences with its surreal tenderness. In 2016, Neiro and Mutsumi founded Galerie Ame, an intimate performance and residency space in East downtown Tokyo, where they host workshops, performances, and artistic exchanges. In 2023, they premiered Pink River—a dance that flowed like a prayer, expressing the miraculous fruit of their shared life and universe.

MUTSUMI

Mutsumi Kimura’s journey into dance began at the age of three with classical ballet training. As a junior high school student, she transitioned to rhythmic gymnastics, later competing at the national level, including the Inter-High Championships, National Sports Festival, and All Japan Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. She trained with the All-Japan National Team while attending Tokyo Women’s College of Physical Education, but an injury forced her to step away from dance. A decade later, she was deeply moved by a documentary featuring Kazuo and Yoshito Ohno’s Butoh, inspiring her to return to dance. In 2009, she relocated to Tokyo to study under Yoshito Ohno at Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio, where she met her longtime collaborator, Neiro. She has participated in Mitsuyo Uesugi’s Butoh workshop “Kayoukai”, and in 2016, she was selected as a model for ISSEY MIYAKE, a photo book by Yuriko Takagi published by Taschen, in conjunction with the MIYAKE ISSEY. Exhibition at The National Art Center, Tokyo.

NEIRO

2008–2010 – Art Mime Training, Japan Art Mime Society, Tokyo, Japan Studied under JIDAI (JIDAI – Art Mime)2010–2012 – Mime Art Theatre Training, Teatr Sztuki Mimu (Mime Art Theatre), Warsaw, Poland Studied under Stefan Niedziałkowski; performed in his company (Stefan Niedziałkowski – Mime Art Theatre)2012–2017 – Butoh Training, Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio, Yokohama, Japan Studied under Yoshito Ohno (Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio)
Artist Statement
NEIRO’s artistic journey—from Mime to Butoh and into the experimental realms of his duet work in MUTSUMINEIRO—reflects a deep commitment to exploring raw, visceral states through the body. His trajectory across artistic mediums and cultural landscapes, from Poland to Japan, has shaped a practice deeply grounded in intuition, physical memory, and the mystery of presence.
Each mentor—Stefan Niedziałkowski, with Mime’s silent discipline, and Yoshito Ohno, with the profound spiritual layers of Butoh—offered NEIRO distinct vocabularies, which he has since fused into a unique language of movement.
His solo work, Bokutoh KI – Dance TANTAN, represents the culmination of these influences. It is not choreographed in a conventional sense but rather unearthed moment by moment in improvisation—an open space where time fractures and something unknown is allowed to be born. He describes this process as “a scream, a crack, something that whispers to us to take a peek.” It is not theatre in the traditional sense but rather an ephemeral emergence—a fragile reality that exists only once.

MUTSUMINEIRO Duet Work

2025
Performance for ABERRANT PLEXUS Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO Date: 13th December 2025 | Venue: METAMORPHIKA STUDIO, UK
Performance “HACCHO 8000000000000” for TEKSTLAB FESTIVAL: GLOKALE Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO Date: 7th November 2025 | Venue: Gamle Munch, Norway
Performance for APARTE Festival Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO, featuring Jens Stenstadvold, Hallvard Håstein, and Esther H. H. Ziegemann (dir. Janne Hoem) | Music: Tomi and Tomi (Argentina) Date: 12th October 2025 | Venue: THE CABIN, Norway
Performance for Concert of Tomi and Tomi Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: Tomi and Tomi (Argentina) Date: 10th October 2025 | Venue: Studio Halv, Norway
Performance for TANGIBLE AS IN CREMATING Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: NSB & Gæn | VJ: Ingrid Bjørnaali Date: 20 September 2025 | Venue: Boksen, Norway
Performance for the Seasonal Opening of Riksscene Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: Anne Hytta Date: 23 August 2025 | Venue: Riksscene, Norway
Performance for the Opening Ceremony of Holmusbu Kunstmuseum Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: Harpreet Bansal Date: 07 June 2025 | Venue: Holmusbu Kunstmuseum, Norway
BUTOH NOIZE Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: Skaset + Lie Date: 31 May 2025 | Venue: Galleri Galleberg, Norway
MORE NOIZE Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: Skaset + Lie Date: 30 May 2025 | Venue: Boksen, Norway
Tonight or Never… Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO Date: 25 April 2025 | Venue: Chisenhale Dance Space, UK
Bokutoh Ki-Dance Butoh: NEIRO | Kyojimaeki Butoh no Kai Date: 20 March 2025 | Venue: Kyojima-ki, Japan
2024
Stand-up Noize Show Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: Håkon Lie & Thomas Oxem Venue: Boksen, Oslo, Norway
Introduction of BUTOH Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Soundscape: Simen Korsmo Robertsen Venue: Buskerud Kunstsenter, Drammen, Norway
Improvisation-Based Performance Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: Håkon Lie Venue: Vestfold Kunstsenter, Tønsberg, Norway Supported by Vestfold Kunstsenter, Aparte Festival, nyMusikk Vestfold, and Nonfigurativ Musikk
Improvisation-Based Performance Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: Lie Oxem Venue: Buskerud Kunstsenter, Drammen, Norway
Research Performance for GAUSDAL Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Voice: Elfi Sverdrup | Poetry: Erling Kittelsen | Directed by Janne Hoem Presented as part of further development for a performance dedicated to the memory of GAUSDAL
Tonight or Never… (South American Tour) Venues:
Tomie Ohtake Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
Centro Cultural Roberto Palmari, Rio Claro, Brazil Sala Mariana de Jesus, Quito, Ecuador
CPT-SESC, São Paulo, Brazil
Improvisation-Based Performance Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Cello: Jonas Moncaio Venue: Cine Teatro Italia, Rio Claro, Brazil
The Cold Sun Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Venue: Casa Gira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Improvisation-Based Performance Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO | Music: Tomi Lebrero & El Puchero Misterio Venue: CAFF, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Improvisation-Based Performance Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO Venue: Plato Livraria, Brasilia, Brazil
800000000000 (Work in Progress)
Indonesia Tour:
Life of Butoh Festival, Jogjakarta Bisik Serayu Festival, Banyumas
Indonesia Performance Camp, Padang ASIA TRI AKITA Festival – Akita, Japan
BUTOH – KAI 6 (Butohsfera, Warsaw, Poland)
ALOHA I LOVE YOU A nonverbal, physical theatre performance by Janne Hoem & MUTSUMINEIRO Co-created with Jens Stenstadvold, Joakim Vefling Seeberg, Hallvard Håstein and Anne Stenstadvold. Light design by Nemanja Cadjo (Bosnia)
2023
Improvisation-Based Performance With experimental musicians and performers, including children. Featuring: Tomas Oxem, Håkon Lie, Ingrid Frivold, Butoh duo MUTSUMINEIRO (JP), Jens Stenstadvold, Benjamin V. Seeberg, Joachim V. Seeberg Directed in collaboration with Janne Hoem Date: 20 May 2023 | Venue: Aparte Spring Fest, Papirhuset Teater, Tønsberg, Norway
Our Last Waltz Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO A nostalgic mosaic flowing into the explosive finale of an inner circus Venue: Warsaw, Poland
Golden Club Created and performed by Mitsuyo Uesugi, Makiko Takamatsu, and MUTSUMINEIRO Presented at ASIA TRI AKITA Festival, Akita, Japan Inspired by Bach’s music, this piece explores overflowing imagination and intuitive transformation into dance.
Pink River Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO A duet celebrating their farewell from a riverside life story Venue: Theater Xcai, Tokyo, Japan
2022
Fuyu Toutou – Nagasaki Nostalgia Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Based on childhood memories from Nagasaki, particularly related to the local summer ritual "Shourou Nagashi." Venue: Tokyo, JapanSee You in a Dream Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Presented at the 15th International Dance and Theater Festival of Theater Xcai, Tokyo, Japan
Yamabiko Prolólogos Created and directed by Janne Hoem Premiere: 5 November 2022 | Festival: Aparte Festival for Experimental Arts, Støperiet, Tønsberg, Norway A performance with children and retired men without stage experience, in collaboration with the core environment of Butoh in Japan. Featuring: Nelly Øster, Freddy Voldstad, Butoh duo MUTSUMINEIRO (JP), Mitsuyo Uesugi (JP), Ophelia Leithe-Rief, Jens Stenstadvold, Joachim Vefling Seeberg, Hallvard Håstein Music: Carl Michael von
Hausswolff – "The Wind in Kirtipur" Light design: Nemanja Cadjo (Bosnia)
2021
Fairy Tail Created and performed by NEIRO Presented at TOKYO BUTOH CIRCUS 2021, Tokyo, Japan Born from NEIRO’s thoughts on Butoh—acknowledging that Butoh emerged from deviation and the necessity of sincere engagement with life itself.
2020
TAN TAN Created and performed by NEIRO NEIRO’s first solo Butoh recital Venue: Theater Xcai, Tokyo, Japan Breaking the shell, a baby colored 「誕」ITSUWARI is born— a dance expressing cosmic principles, contradiction, and the blessing of new confusion.
2019
GINBASHA – NEIRO SUPERLIGHT (Double solo performances) Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Venue: Tokyo, Japan
The Nights of Yukio – Calling Oyunohara A physical theatre performance Created, directed, and produced by Janne Hoem With local monks and vocalists: Øystein Elle and Elfi Sverdrup Butoh by: MUTSUMINEIRO, Seiji Tanaka, En Tanaka (JP) Music: Shu Moriguchi (piano), GotsuGotsu (harmonica) Supported by: Sasakawa Foundation, The Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo, and FFUK World Premiere Venue: Hongu Taisha Shinto Shrine, Wakayama, Japan
Uesugi, Marhaug + The Nights A free-improvisational physical theatre performance Created and directed through improvisation rehearsals Featuring: Mitsuyo Uesugi (JP), MUTSUMINEIRO (JP) Music: Lasse Marhaug, Øystein Elle, Elfi Sverdrup Co-produced by: DITHEN / Nonfigurativ Musikk Venue: Støperiet, 24 November 2019, Tønsberg, Norway
2018
HEXE Initiated and directed by Janne Hoem A physical theatre performance based on the history of witch burnings Featuring: Vocalists Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer and Øystein Elle Butoh: MUTSUMINEIRO Scenography: Inger Johanne Rasmussen Producer: Brendan McCall Produced by: Capto Musicae World Premiere: 24 June 2018 | Venue: 13th International Dance and Theater Festival of Theater Xcai, Tokyo, Japan
Paradise Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Presented at ASIA TRI Jogja Festival, Jogjakarta, Indonesia
2017
Paradise Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Venue: ASIA TRI Akita Festival, Akita, Japan
Garden in a Ceiling Space Directed by Minoru Hideshima Performed by: MUTSUMINEIRO, Saki Nakamura, and Minoru Hideshima Venues: Tokyo and Kamakura, Japan
2016
Tonight or Never… (World Tour) Venues: Tokyo, Japan | Warsaw, Poland | Tel Aviv, Israel | Berlin, Germany
Paradise Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Venue: 12th International Dance and Theater Festival of Theater Xcai, Tokyo, Japan
Shadow of the Winds Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Presented as part of KUROFUNE Ensembles Japan tour Venue: Hokkaido, Japan
2015
Once Upon a Time Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Venue: Theater Xcai, Tokyo, Japan
Black Maria Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Venue: Theater Xcai, Tokyo, Japan
2014
Tonight or Never… (World Premiere) Created and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Venue: Theater Xcai, Tokyo, Japan
Serenade Directed and performed by MUTSUMINEIRO Venue: 11th International Dance and Theater Festival of Theater Xcai, Tokyo, Japan

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