From Rupture to Ritual in ‘Of Mirrors and Shadows’/’Flesh to Ashes’
- Elspeth Chan
- Aug 31
- 3 min read
Of Mirrors and Shadows — London Butoh Dance Company
Inspired by Aristophanes’ myth of the Androgynous in Plato’s Symposium, where humans originally existed as unified beings of male, female, and androgynous forms, Of Mirrors and Shadows opens with a back-to-back trio centre stage. Three loosely intertwined pale yellow shirts symbolise fragile unity. Their hands move through the sleeves, evolving from gentle gestures into chaotic, struggling waves, evoking the primal turmoil threatening this original unity.
The trio eventually separates, as three other dancers erupt into the space under molten red light, eliciting the rupture of heaven and earth. Water-like sounds envelop the scene, a hint at birth. One dancer lies still, infant-like, then slowly retreats backwards, guided by the sea’s soundscape. Yet what is birthed is not new life but the poignant incompleteness of human existence—grief and search for the lost other half.
The solo sequence midway intensifies with a performer immersed in indigenous chants and unsettling noises, struggling in a wheel pose, collapsing and rising fiercely, wiping white face paint as if renewing life-death cycles. Later in the group sequence, the rubber bands across the dancers’ lips and the bandage recall the historical Scold’s Bridle, referencing silenced voices, especially women's. A recorded voice intones “desire is there” as black fabrics are introduced, rippling like shadows in the psyche. The desire is both the mythic yearning to reunite lost halves and the deep longing for equality, echoing the gender duality rooted in Zeus’s mythic split.
Six performers in their bare upper bodies writhe on the floor in agonizing movements amongst black and white fabrics, as if they are riding through the vigorous mental landscapes of mankind. The work culminates in anguished shouts as the six kneel, spitting lumps of black matter that may imply the painful embodiments of separation.
Dense with symbolism and mythic resonance, Of Mirrors and Shadows immerses audiences in intense erotic and existential depths. Slowing down with occasional pauses might help to heighten its powerful emotional impact to its profound messaging.
Flesh to Ashes — Ken Mai
Ken Mai’s Flesh to Ashes draws on Gothic aesthetics from the start, serving not only as visual cues but as symbols of deeper universal truths, followed by the mythic Of Mirrors and Shadows. His white sheer top with petal detailing on the sleeves and layered lace skirt adding an ethereal volume to his movements. A square of red lace laid centre stage hints at human suffering and hopeful rituals within a void of madness.
The piece begins with acrobatic leaps, Ken’s strong legs powering ritualistic stomps while his hands trace celestial coordinates, drawing unseen cosmic lines. Interwoven Japanese dialogue and poignant opera singing heighten the ritual energy. His swift, dramatic arm gestures shift from commanding invisible forces to movements seemingly bound by spells, resonating with the theatre's black curtains that billow mysteriously with the wind. His movement vocabulary, profoundly shaped by energy work and spiritual practices, may initially appear elusive to some viewers. Yet, those familiar with his workshops easily recognize the choreographic motifs and gestures, which resonate with the principles and exercises he teaches.
Gradually, he collapses towards the red cloth. Haunting chant rises as he lifts and drapes the red fabric over himself, inducing blood, strangulation, and centuries of human struggles. With audience assistance, Ken removes his top, kneeling to fold it reverently, wrapping it in the red cloth and placing it aside—a ritual signifying a fragile hope or final farewell to humankind. Throughout, the dynamic music and Ken’s shift from powerful to collapsing movements complement the cathartic arc of this solo.
Of Mirrors and Shadows and Flesh to Ashes together explore the cyclical nature of human existence—searching for lost unity through fractured mirrors of desire and shadow, and ultimately surrendering flesh to ashes. Through Butoh’s raw physicality and symbolic power, they invite reflection on human separation, ritualistic transformation, and what might lie beyond in a posthuman state.
