Butoh: Into the Depth
Vangeline Theater/New York Butoh Institute are excited to announce a five-week course, Butoh: Into the Depth, set for July 8 to 31, 2026. The program culminates with a performance on July 31 at 126 10th Street, Suite 207, Brooklyn, NY. Scholarship participants pay as little as $150 for the program, with a sliding scale up to $500. Sign up by June 25, 2026 by emailing butohinstitute@gmail.com. Class is limited to twenty students. For more information, visit here.
Learn to meditate through movement, tapping into subtle body systems and the unconscious. Butoh, the dance of darkness, is a transformative practice from Japan being taught in Brooklyn by renowned teacher Vangeline. Open to dancers and non-dancers alike.
Butoh, the dance of darkness, is an avant-garde dance form that emerged in Japan in the 1950s. The form resists definition, but is often characterized by meditative movement that is variously informed by sensation, emotion, play, micromovement, surrealist techniques, the grotesque, and—above all—authenticity.
This exploration will include space for conversation after each session and a final show for students to perform.
Class Schedule
6pm–9pm with one break
Wednesday Dates:
July 8, July 15, July 22, July 29
Friday, July 31: Performance
About Vangeline
Vangeline is a New York-based teacher, choreographer, and dancer specializing in Japanese Butoh. She is the artistic director of Vangeline Theater / New York Butoh Institute and is widely recognized for her rigorous, research-driven approach to Butoh and for expanding the form’s relevance in the twenty-first century. Her work actively champions diversity and inclusion, creating space for historically underrepresented voices while carrying forward the legacy of Butoh through contemporary research, activism, and performance.
Through her all-female dance company, Vangeline creates socially engaged, innovative choreographic works that unite Butoh with activism. She is the founder of the New York Butoh Institute Festival, dedicated to uplifting women in Butoh, and Queer Butoh, a festival centering LGBTQ+ voices within the form. She is also the visionary behind the Dream a Dream Project, an award-winning program now in its eighteenth year that brings Butoh into correctional facilities across New York State.
At the heart of Vangeline’s philosophy is the belief that Butoh can serve as a tool for both personal and collective transformation. Her work reflects a deep commitment to integrating the full spectrum of human experience—beauty and darkness alike—while reintegrating voices historically marginalized by society. Visit this website for more information.