Moonlit Butoh Workshops with Wojciech Matejko

I invite you to a series of butoh workshops or single sessions that will take place over the next few months around the new and full moon (or as close to those dates as organizationally possible).

Butoh is a countercultural form of dance that originated in Japan in the 1950s. Tatsumi Hijikata, one of butoh’s main creators, called it "ankoku butoh" — the dance of darkness. Butoh was and is a tool for contacting the dark, unwanted, and often repressed areas of identity and culture.

In the workshops we will work with the body and (un)consciousness through deep relaxation techniques and moving meditation. This practice will lead us into dance using internal visualization and work with form.

We will draw from the world of nature and from archetypal forms related to tarot cards and deities of various religious and mystical traditions.

The workshop is open to everyone — it can be a source of inspiration for people working in different fields of art as well as for those interested in personal development. Butoh methods expand body awareness and contact with natural movement. They can be an unexpected key to improvisation in many fields. They also have great transformative potential and allow a deepening of contact with one’s own body and mind.

Note:
- Psychoactive classes. Please inform me in advance if you are struggling with any life/mental crisis, take medication, or have any injuries.

• Place:
• Chata Numinosum (ul. Jazdów 3/5)
• Domek Partnerstwa Otwarty Jazdów (ul. Jazdów 10/5)
• Open Jazdów outdoor space (in suitable weather)

• Cost:
• 100 zł
• I am open to barter if you are not in a good financial situation right now — write to wojtek@jazdow.pl, we will figure something out!

Duration:
- Workshops last 3 hours.

Registration

- Places are limited, first-come, first-served. Registration is required via the form.
- You can also sign up by email: wojtek@jazdow.pl (subject: księżycowe zapis).
- Please direct any questions to wojtek@jazdow.pl.

About me:
I treat butoh not only as a performing art but also as a non-religious ritual practice and a powerful tool for transforming body and mind. I learned butoh from Atsushi Takenouchi, Ken Mai, Dai Matsuoki, Tetsuro Fukuhara and Sylwia Hanff. Besides my passion for dance, for many years I have been active on behalf of the Jazdów Estate in Warsaw, where I coordinate the largest grassroots cultural center in Poland — Otwarty Jazdów. In 2018 I performed dance rituals every new and full moon — a total of 24 public performances in Poland and Europe, executed exactly at the moment of the new moon and full moon culmination.

The performance "Urażone Guru," which I authored, was shown at festivals such as "Klamra" and "Feta" and on the stage of the Theatre Study in Warsaw. I am the creator and performer of the eco-butoh film "Sektor" about the Vistula Spit canal project, which in 2021 received the award for best "360 video" at the Sehsüchte Film Festival. I have performed in short and feature films as well as music videos (including Alameda 5, Joanna John, Gaba Kulka).

Wolny Jazdów:
The event takes place in Wolny Jazdów — the largest grassroots center for culture and education in Poland, a green enclave in the heart of Warsaw. The estate residents and urban activists defended it from demolition, and since 2015 they have been organized in the Otwarty Jazdów Partnership, which gives new public functions to the place. The Partnership conducts a dialogue with the City of Warsaw officials for the development of the estate.

In 2021 the Partnership received a distinction from the European Commission for outstanding commitment to protecting and developing shared European heritage in the European Heritage Awards competition.

You can support the activities of the Otwarty Jazdów Partnership: https://jazdow.pl/wesprzyj
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazdow
Contact: otwarty@jazdow.pl