Atsushi Takenouchi dances the present day and its various figures; including the chord and discord created by nature, people and artificiality. The dance's theme is "JINEN". His dance is based on movement which comes up from inside of individual. He creates his dance performance using the core part of the expression of dance, which is both native and contemporary.
He places emphasis on workshops for the dancers, performers of varied degree of skill including beginners, children, and disabled person.

PROFILE
Atsushi Takenouchi joined butoh dance company "Hoppo-Butoh-ha" in Hokkaido in 1980. His last performance with the company "Takazashiki"(1984) was worked on by butoh-founder Tatsumi Hijikata. Atsushi has started his own "Jinen Butoh" since 1986 and created solo works "Itteki" "Ginkan" as a universal expression of nature, earth, and ancient times and impressions of the moment, meeting with people and environment. He made 3year “JINEN” tour project throughout Japan for 600 sitespecific improvisations (1996-1999). During this time, he studied a spirit of the universe under Kazuo Ohno and Yoshito Ohno. In 1999-2000, “Sun & Moon” tour project -12 countries in Europe and south east Asia - danced in nature and historical site. Since 2002, he has been mainly based in Europe, working on butoh dance collaboration project with dancers and actors in France, Poland,U.S.A and other countries. In 2002 and 2004, he received 1 year art fellowship funded by Japanese government and Japan Foundation. In 2005, he presented solo "Stone" in Avignon festival and choreographed a butoh procession with twenty dancers through city in the festival. Recently, he is also focusing on creating group performance.
”Koe”(Paris,NY/2003),“Gen”(Paris,NY,Warsaw/2004,2005), “Butoh Byo” (Paris/2006),“U-Pipe”(Italy/2006),“Life and Death, Mandala of Transmigration”(Paris/2007).
 

HISTORY OF ATSUSHI TAKENOUCHI   　

1962

• Born in Matsuzaka, Ise city, Mie prefecture.

1980

• Entered butoh dance company "Hoppo – Butoh - ha" of Otaru, Hokkaido.

1984

• Performed "TAKAZASHIKI", his last performance with the company, taking choreography of the late Tatsumi Hijikata.

1986

• Starts solo performance and drawing, having a theme of nature.

• Established nature schools "Dance with nature" for children and their parents in Osaka.

1994

• Performed solo "TANAGOKORO" and "GINKAN" in Osaka.

1995

• Performed solo "ITTEKI" in Osaka.

• Performed at the memorial service "the Ceremony of Regeneration", praying for repose of souls at shelters  in Kobe (the stricken area by a big earthquake) in Japan.

1996 ~ 99

• Performed "JINEN", which was based on his impressions from every place, climate, people, music, at the remains, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, nature fields, and theaters and halls visiting around cities, villages, islands all over Japan. Hold workshop "Dance with Lives" for dancers, expressionists, and university students, kindergartner, mentally and physically disabled people. Hold private exhibition of his drawing. He also studied a spirit of the universe under Kazuo Ohno and Yoshito Ohno.

1999

• Performed solo "STONE" in Korea and Japan Dance Festival at Theatre Zero (Seoul).

1999 ~

• Starts performing JINEN - butoh tour "Sun & Moon" in 12 countries at natural locations all over the world. Had more than 100 performance in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Czech, Hungary, Austria, Norway, Spain, Thailand, Cambodia during the tour [Nerja cave in Malaga/Spain, the coast of Limini, in Marseille/France, Dragon stone circle in Brighton/UK, Former Sachsenhausen concentration camp /Germany, The wall of Berlin/Germany, Angkol Wat in Shiem Riep/Cambodia, Killing Field in Pnompen/Cambodia, Thai Cave in Phetchaburi province/Thailand, Aka mountain tribe village/on the boarder of Laos and Thailand].

2000

• Set up the team "Breathing Heritage" with the concept of "dancing the forgotten human's memory". "Tanagokoro" - group - at Espace Culturel Bertin Poiree, "Breathing Heritage" at Ambassade du Japon in Paris.

• Performance "Stone" at Theater KANA in Szczecin, Theater Maly in Warsaw, KONFRONTACJE TEATRALNE Festival Lublin in Poland, and Theatre Des Augenblicks in Vienna, Duncan center in Prague, Espace culturel Bertin Poiree in Paris. Workshop at youth center in Czarnocin in Poland, and Prague, Paris. Performance at National Nature Park – Westonbirt Arboretum- in Britain.

2001

• Performance "Tanagokoro" - group - at OSAKA TORII HALL (Osaka Dance Experience).

• Natureside workshop at the Adirondacks, up state New York. Solo performance "Stone" at Gallery CAVE in NYC. Collaboration performance with Ransom Corp.

• "Ren-mitsu" collaborative performance with Japanese traditional dance at Enishi-an, Osaka.

• Solo performance "ITTEKI" at Theater KANA in Poland, "Stone" Poland tour.

• "ITTEKI" at Espace Culturel Bertin Poiree in Paris.

• "Breath2001" collaboration performance with Red Earth (UK) at Canterbury Festival 2001, UK.

2002

• Performance "Stone" and workshop in Resonant Wave Festival in Berlin (Germany).

• Performance "TENMON" and workshop in Butoh Festival 2002 at Espace Culturel Bertin Poiree (Paris).

• Natureside workshop project in Adirondacks, up state NY, Presentation in NYC.

• 1year collaboration dance project in Europe as an arts fellowship funded by the Japanese government.

• Workshop project in Poland; at MCCA (Warsaw), Tratwa association (Olsztyn), BWA (Wroclaw), and CK Zamek (Poznan). Solo Performance "ITTEKI" at Teatr Maly (Warsaw), and CK Zamek in Maski Festival 2002 (Poznan).

• Danced for a requiem at Birkenau, Auschwitz (Oswiecim/Poland).

2003

• Performance "STONE" in the international conference THE HUMAN BODY - A UNIVERSAL SIGN at Manggha centre in Krakow (Poland), "Stone" in the 1st  Butoh Festival at Teatro Astoria (Lerici/Italy).

• 5 weeeks workshop project at Espace Culturel Bertin Poiree (Paris).

• New creation "GEKKAI" in the 4th Butoh festival at Espace Culturel Bertin Poiree (Paris).

• Group piece "KOE" at Theatre du Lierre (Paris) and in NYC at Angel Orensanz Synagogue (NY).

• "Burning Earth" with Kathi Von Koerber (from Germany/South Africa) in NY.

• Ex..it! 03 3rd international butoh & contemporary dance exchange. Workshop camp at Schloss Broellin (Germany). Choreographed "Crying Evolution" with contemporary dancer Yael Schnell (Israel).

• Performance in the full moon celebration at Osaka Ecology study centre (Osaka/Japan).

• Poland tour: "ITTEKI" at Theatre Confrontation International Festival (Lublin). "JINEN" in Parchowo. Workshop performance project "DEAI" for Polish young people in monar and German teen-agers at Teatr KANA (Szczecin), Mazowieckie theatre meeting point; 36 hours workshop & presentation (Siedlce), "GEKKAI" at Teatr KANA (Szczecin) and Centrum Kultury Zamek (Poznan), "ITTEKI" at Zak (Gdansk).

2004

• Solo performance "STONE" at Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio (Yokohama/Japan).

• JINEN Butoh solo improvisation "Fire's eye" & "Tree's eye" (in Yaku island/Japan).

• Collaboration performance with African dance "Fleur de Boue" with Afra Crudo, Ladji Diawara, Jean C.Dussin, Hiroko Komiya at Art Zora and at INECAT (Paris).

• Starts 1year JINEN Butoh collaboration work project "Inside movement and JINEN" in France, Poland, and U.S.A by the Japan Foundation Fellowship.

2005

• Workshop and group performance "GEN" (Espace Culturel Bertin Poiree/Paris).

• Butoh & free music improvisation with Sharif Sehnaoui (electric guitar), Jean Borde (contrabass), Thierry Madiot (bass trombone), Christine Sehnaoui (saxophone), Hiroko Komiya (stone, shell, voice) at Les Voutes, and at La Guillotine in Paris.

• Natureside workshop project "Connection between Nature, body and yourself" (Yaku island/Japan).

• Collaboration with company "Fields of Wonder" from Holland. Site specific group performance "Fields of colour" in the flower field in Leiden, Holland in 'Week van de Bollenstreek 2005' festival.

• Improvisation "Ki Za Mu" with Marie-Gabrielle Rotie in London (UK).

• JINEN Butoh workshop project in Toscany and South Italy, London, Amsterdam.

• TANZ COOPERATIVA Butoh project, solo Butoh "JINEN" & project group performance "GEN" at Festival Sztuka Ulicy Warsaw Street Festival (Warsaw/Poland).

• Solo JINEN Butoh performance "Stone" at Theatre de la Dance Golovine, Avignon and Butoh Yin-Yang Procession in Festival Avignon - Off 2005.

• The 5th nature side Butoh workshop at the Adirondacks (USA)

• Group performance "JINEN – Pros Eafton" worked on ancient Greek tragedy and Butoh, at the Arts Center of the Municipality of Athens – Parko Eleftherias (Greece), in collaboration with "Sin+Ergasia" (Athens).

• Group performance "Injured Bird" at Jack & Joe theatre (Toscana/Italy).

• JINEN Butoh workshop project and Solo Butoh "KI ZA MU" in Butoh festival Poland-Japan Dialogue of cultures At the Cultural Centre KLUB "ZAK" (Gdansk/Poland).

• Solo Butoh "GEKKAI" At Centrum Manggha (Krakow/Poland).

• Butoh improvisation with Maciej Rychly (flute) in Parchowo theatre festival (Parchowo/Poland).

• Solo Butoh "KI ZA MU" with Slawomir Skruszewicz (clarinet), Boguslaw Sobieski (sound effect) and Michal Szulzyk (double bass) at Theatre KANA (Szczecin/Poland).

• Solo Butoh "KI ZA MU" with Andrzej Trzeciak (Cello) at CK Zamek (Poznan/Poland).

• Butoh workshop in the project for Monar of Polish, Russian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian young people at youth centre in Czarnocin(Poland).

• Butoh Barter 2005 workshop and presentation project, "The Mandala of life and death" (Warsaw/Poland).

2006

• Group performance "BUTOH-BYOU" at Espace Culturel Bertin Poiree (Paris) and the Yin Yang Butoh procession in the square in front of Centre George Pompidou (Paris).

• The 2nd JINEN Butoh Nature side workshop and performance in Yaku island in South Japan.

• JINEN Butoh workshop and solo performance in Chicoutimi (Quebec/Canada).

• JINEN Butoh workshop project "Playing Fruits" with ALBA association, in Pisa link Dansa festival 2005 (Italy).

• Solo Butoh "Stone" at the theater "Anoixis" Athens (Greece).

• Site specific group performance "Colours of Time" in collaboration with the company "Fields of Wonder" in the flower field in Lisse, and at SieboldHuis museum in Leiden (Holland).

• Nature side workshop in the Pyrenees (France).

• Jinen Butoh solo improvisation and Butoh workshop in collaboration with body painting by Patricia Muller (Belgium).

• Solo Butoh improvisation "KI NO ME" for a requiem for the late Mr. Zygmunt Duczynski at Teatr KANA (Szczecin/Poland).

• Solo Butoh improvisation "KI ZA MU" in Paris Butoh festival (Paris).

Video/DVD
- 1996〜1998 Gin yu-Butoh "JINEN" digest、
- "Tanagokoro・Itteki・Ginkan" digest
- "JINEN in Iwaya"（BE-BOX）,
- "The　2nd Osaka Dance Experience1996 RE-VIEW"（TORII HALL）
-"KI ZA MU" 2005 (Teatr KANA/Poland)

Publication
-1994 " Dance with Nature in the Rice Festival" picture book
Poem and illustrations by Atsushi Takenouchi.( issued by Noubunkyo)
-2005 "Metaphysics in Motion" written by Sandra Fraleigh
-2006 "Hijikata Tatsumi and Ohno Kazuo" written by Sandra Fraleigh & Tamah Nakamura