Alt text: Group of Butoh dancers in layered white dresses performing in the middle of a city street during a parade. Each dancer holds a red rose, with expressive poses—some crouching low, others reaching upward or leaning forward. The scene is black-and-white with the roses in vivid red, emphasizing their movement and emotion.

Akihito Ichihara and a large group of dancers standing barefoot in a line at Battery Park. They wear earthy-toned costumes in shades of orange, rust, and dark gray. Akihito, centered and painted white, gazes upward as the city skyline and waterfront appear in the background. Photo by Kasia Idzkowska

Vangeline performing in ‘The Slowest Wave’ at the New York Butoh Institute Festival on October 12, 2024. She lies on her back on a dark stage, arms and legs extended upward in a dynamic pose, illuminated by a vivid magenta spotlight. Photo by Alex Gramma. Triskelion Arts.

River Luna performing on the mainstage at Dance Parade 2025. The performer wears a wide-brimmed lace hat and a flowing white lace shawl, moving gracefully with arms raised against a backdrop of lush green trees. Photo by Deb Fong.

Akihito Ichihara and dancers performing at Battery Park on July 14, 2024. The group, dressed in denim-blue costumes with orange accents, moves with outstretched arms near the waterfront. Akihito, painted white and wearing a rust-colored skirt, stands center with arms lifted toward the sky against a city skyline backdrop. Photo by Kasai Idzowska.

Eugenia Vargas on a dark stage wearing a long white robe with red accents. She kneels forward, clutching a large black rope-like bundle that coils on the floor, with long hair hanging loosely and face partially shadowed by stage lighting. Photo by Michael Blase. Triskelion Arts.

Elf Dancer performing in Times Square on October 20, 2024. The dancer, wearing an intricate red costume with delicate headpiece and face paint, moves gracefully with one arm extended, surrounded by onlookers and other performers in vibrant attire. Photo by Jenn Raptor.

Yazmin Gonzalez at Dance Parade 2025. The performer, with white face paint and wearing a sleeveless white dress adorned with a butterfly headpiece, walks down a city street holding a single red rose aloft. Other white-clad dancers can be seen performing in the background. Photo by J. Robertson.

Natalia Cuellar performing in ‘KI, The Breath of Time’ on October 10, 2024. She lies gracefully on her side on a glossy dark stage, wearing a textured, light-colored costume. One arm reaches outward while warm golden stage lighting reflects off the floor. Photo by Michael Blase. At Triskelion Arts.

Vangeline teaching a Butoh class, photographed by Nick Wong. Students sit in a circle on a light wooden floor, stretching forward toward their feet in a calm, focused atmosphere, with natural light coming through large windows.

A student performing during the final open studio showcase on May 14, 2025. The black-and-white image shows the performer standing with one arm slightly raised, wearing a patterned shirt, with other participants moving in the background. Photo by Shahryar Shahamat.

Akihito Ichihara and dancers performing at Battery Park on July 14, 2024. The group, painted with blue and orange body paint, wears tattered denim and orange costumes while moving in expressive crouched and twisted poses on a paved outdoor space. Akihito, painted white and wearing a long orange skirt, bends forward dramatically among the ensemble. Photo by Kasia Idzkowska.

“Akihito Ichihara and dancers performing in Times Square on October 20, 2024. The group, wearing blue and red costumes with painted bodies, moves in low, fluid poses on the city’s iconic plaza. Akihito, painted white with a flowing red skirt, stretches forward on the ground while surrounded by dancers under bright neon lights and large digital billboards. Photo by Jenn Raptor.

Alaisha Sharma during a student performance on May 14, 2024. In this black-and-white image, she stands barefoot on a wooden floor, wearing a sleeveless, loose dress, eyes closed, with a calm and introspective expression. Photo by Shahryar Shahamat.

Natsuki Takakuwa performing at the New York Butoh Institute Festival 2024. She dances barefoot on a dark stage, wearing a flowing red costume, with arms extended and face tilted upward, partially illuminated by a soft spotlight. Photo by Michael Blase.

Yazmin Gonzalez performing on stage at Dance Parade 2025. In this black-and-white image, she is dressed in a white flowing outfit with a floral headpiece, captured mid-movement with one arm raised and the other bent, illuminated by a spotlight against a dark background. Photo by J. Robertson.

“Akihito Ichihara performing in Times Square on October 20, 2025. The black-and-white image highlights Akihito’s painted white body as he kneels barefoot on the pavement, one arm raised in a poised gesture, wearing a vivid red flowing skirt. Other dancers and bystanders are visible in the background. Photo by Jenn Raptor.

Students seated in a circle on a wooden studio floor during a Butoh class with Vangeline. One student rests with knees drawn up and head in hands while others sit cross-legged or lie down, engaging in a reflective group exercise. Photo by Nick Wong.

Ruth Ventura performing with the New York Butoh Institute at Dance Parade 2025. She wears a cream-colored flowing dress with a large white bow on her head and white face paint, holding a single red rose as she leans forward with outstretched arms. Other dancers in similar costumes move in the background on the street. Photo by J. Robertson.

Photo by Nick Wong.

“Vangeline and participants forming a peace circle in Times Square on April 6, 2025. They stand in a loose circle with open hands, facing each other, surrounded by bouquets of flowers placed on the ground. One participant holds a hand drum, while others wear light-colored clothing. Onlookers watch from nearby

Akihito Ichihara and dancers performing in Times Square on October 20, 2024. Akihito, painted white and dressed in a flowing red skirt, crouches low with bent arms, while surrounding dancers in blue and red costumes move fluidly nearby as a crowd watches. Photo by Jenn Raptor.

Three dancers performing ‘Human on Human’ at the Queer Butoh Festival 2025, held at the Brick Theater. They are barefoot, dressed in loose, light-colored clothing, leaning against an exposed brick wall with bent postures, heads tilted upward and expressions of quiet intensity. Photo by Jenn Raptor. June 28, 2025.

Alice Baldock performing in ‘Fruit of My Woman’ at the Queer Butoh Festival 2025. She lies on a dark wooden stage in a black dress, holding a partially eaten pomegranate aloft in one hand, illuminated by a soft spotlight against a dark background. Photo by Shahryar Shahamat. June 27, 2025 at the Brick Theater.

Ama performing ‘Wings of Dove’ at the Queer Butoh Festival 2025. She dances barefoot on a warmly lit wooden stage, wearing a black lace and polka-dotted outfit with a dramatic feathered collar, one arm extended upward and the other back, her hair flowing wildly. Performed June 25-28, 2025 at the Brick theater. Photo by Alex Gramma.

Juan Manuel performing at the Queer Butoh Festival 2025. He moves barefoot on a dimly lit wooden stage, enveloped in flowing white fabric that obscures his body, creating a dramatic, ghostly silhouette against a dark brick wall. Photo by Shahryar Shahamat.

Chris Fonseca from Surface Area Dance Theater performing ‘Down Amongst the Plants’ at the Queer Butoh Festival 2025. Chris is captured upside down in a dynamic pose, balancing on his shoulders with legs bent overhead, wearing loose cream-colored garments under dramatic stage lighting. Photo by Shahryar Shahamat.

Yazmin stands among a group of dancers in white, wearing a sleeveless dress and a floral headpiece, holding a single red rose. The performers, with white-painted faces, are captured mid-movement in a soft blue-tinted light. Photo By J Robertson.

Robyn Wong performing on the mainstage at Dance Parade 2025. She is shown in a close-up, reclining with her head tilted back and mouth slightly open, wearing a white strapless costume, evoking a moment of stillness and vulnerability. Photo by J. Robertson.

Shahryar Shahamat and dancers performing ‘Human on Human’ at the Queer Butoh Festival 2025. Eight barefoot performers in loose, neutral-toned clothing stand spaced out on a dimly lit wooden stage with exposed brick walls, evoking a quiet, introspective atmosphere. Photo by Jenn Raptor.

Chris Fonseca and dancers from Surface Area Dance Theater performing ‘Down Amongst the Plants’ at the Queer Butoh Festival 2025. Chris stands barefoot in loose cream-colored garments on a dimly lit stage, while other dancers in similar costumes move expressively in the background. Photo by Shahryar Shahamat. Performed on June 26, 2025 at Brick Theater.

Promotional poster for the Queer Butoh Festival 2025. The design features bold black text at the top and a collage of expressive dancers in dramatic poses, some bathed in red, green, yellow, blue, and purple lighting effects.

Quentin Chaveriat performing at Queer Butoh Festival 2025. The performer stands barefoot against an exposed brick wall, wrapped in a long, white fabric with black patches that drapes onto the wooden floor. Scattered yellow and green apples surround an open suitcase nearby. The scene is bathed in warm, reddish-orange stage lighting. Photo by Alex Gramma. June 25-28,2025 at Brick Theater.

Shahryar Shahamat performing in Human on Human at Queer Butoh Festival 2025. The performer kneels barefoot on a cream-colored mat in a dark, minimalist space, leaning forward while holding a white sculptural object. Dramatic lighting casts shadows, highlighting the quiet intensity of the moment. Photo by Alex Gramma.

Surface Area Dance Theater performing Down Amongst the Plants at Queer Butoh Festival 2025. Four dancers in textured, layered white costumes stand against a brick wall with red, green, and yellow lighting projections, their heads tilted back in a slow, meditative movement. Photo by Alex Gramma.

This program was made possible by the New York Department of Cultural Affairs and the City Council.