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Ushio Amagatsu

あまがつ うしお

Amagatsu Ushio

Aliases: 上島正和

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1949-12-31 （Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan）
Died
2024-03-25 age 74
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan → Tokyo, Japan → Paris, France (periods as a creative base)

Career

Occupations
Butoh dancer, Choreographer, Director, Costume designer
Active Years
1972-2024
Affiliations
Sankai Juku, Dairakudakan, Aoyama Spiral Hall (Artistic Director)

Awards

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier)
1992
Organization: Government of France
Result: 受章
Minister for Foreign Affairs Commendation
1995
Work: Sankai Juku
Organization: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
Result: 受賞
French Critics Association Best Award
1998
Work: Three Sisters (opera)
Organization: French Critics Association
Result: 受賞
Dance Critics Association Award (33rd)
2001
Work: Sankai Juku
Organization: Dance Critics Association
Result: 受賞
Laurence Olivier Award: Best New Dance Production
2002
Work: Hibiki
Category: 最優秀新作ダンス作品賞
Organization: Laurence Olivier Awards
Result: 受賞
Art Encouragement Prize, Minister of MEXT (Dance)
2004
Category: 舞踊部門
Organization: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Result: 受賞
Asahi Performing Arts Award Grand Prix
2007
Work: Toki
Organization: Asahi Performing Arts Awards
Result: 受賞
Kirin Dance Support
2007
Work: Sankai Juku
Organization: Kirin
Result: 支援
French Critics Association Award (Best)
2008
Work: Lady SARASHINA
Organization: French Critics Association
Result: 受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2011
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Commandeur)
2014
Category: コマンドール章
Organization: Government of France
Result: 受章
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
2024
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 追贈

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Amagatsu Sho

1977 Butoh / Dance

An early signature piece from the 1970s. Features ritualistic and symbolic physical expression and demonstrates core elements of Amagatsu's stage aesthetics.

RitualityPhysical expressionSymbolism

Kinkan Shonen

1978 Butoh (solo)

Originally a solo-focused piece. Later re-created by younger performers and continued to be presented in altered forms.

SolitudeMemoryBodily limits

Shoriba

1979 Butoh / Dance

A mid-period piece exploring the relationship between body and space, constructed through ensemble movement and stage arrangement.

EnsembleSpatialityTransformation of the body

Jomon Sho

1982 Stage (Butoh)

Co-produced with Théâtre de la Ville (Paris). Characterized by visually striking stage pictures incorporating primitive and folkloric imagery.

PrimitivismFolkloric imageryRitualization of the body

Netsu no Kata

1984 Stage / Dance

One of the important works of the 1980s. Co-produced with Théâtre de la Ville, it attracted international attention.

Heat and energyContinuity of the bodyVisuality

1986 Stage / Dance

A co-production with Théâtre de la Ville. Uses symbolic and repetitive imagery.

CirculationSymbolic objectsRepetition

1988 Stage / Dance

A work emphasizing silence and timing. Part of a group of works that raised the company's international profile.

SilenceTiming (ma)Visual poetics

Hibiki

1998 Stage (Dance)

A 1998 work notable for resonant spatial composition and grand ensemble images. It received international recognition, including the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production.

ResonanceEnsembleSense of space

Three Sisters (opera, director)

1998 Opera (director)

Directed a new opera based on Chekhov (music by Péter Eötvös). Premiered at the Lyon National Opera and received strong acclaim.

Intersection of text and bodyExtension of theatricality

Lady SARASHINA (director)

1998 Opera (director)

Directed a new opera based on Sugawara no Takasue's daughter (Sarashina diary). Staged at Lyon National Opera and acclaimed internationally.

Adaptation of Japanese classicsFusion of voice and movement

Toki

2006 Stage (Butoh)

Blends elements from past works with new material. Received the Asahi Performing Arts Award Grand Prix in 2007.

TimeRetrospectionCollective expression

UTSUSHI

2008 Stage / Collage work

A collage piece built from ensemble sections of past works. It presents 'memories of movement' through visual fragments and recomposition.

Collage of memoryFragments and recomposition

Two Flows — Karami

2010 Stage (Butoh)

One of the notable later works featuring complex ensemble structures alongside an atmosphere of stillness.

Multiple flowsIntertwiningStillness and motion

Bibliography

  • Dialogue avec la gravité — Ushio Amagatsu, Actes Sud, 2000
  • Sankai Juku (photographs by Guy Delahaye), Actes Sud, 2000
  • AMAGATSU (photographs by Yoshihiko Ueda), Kōrinsha, 1995

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Ritualistic, abstract physical expressionMinimal, symbolic stage compositionVisually centered direction
Recurring Motifs
Full-body white makeupShaved headsEnsemble workSilence and ma (pauses)Nature and primitive imageryTime and memory

Health

  • Heart failure
    2024
    Died of heart failure in March 2024. Detailed medical history has not been publicly disclosed.

Legacy

Ushio Amagatsu, head of Sankai Juku, was a choreographer and director who helped establish Japanese butoh on the international stage. His visually powerful and ritualistic productions earned wide acclaim and multiple international honors. His works continue to be staged and studied after his death.

Trivia

  • Birth name: Ueshima Masakazu.
  • Known for butoh performances with full-body white makeup and shaved heads.
  • Founded the dance company Sankai Juku in 1975.
  • From 1997 he also directed operas.
  • Died of heart failure in 2024 at age 74.
  • Honored by the French government with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier, later Commandeur).