| What: 1–2–3 As One: A Japanese-South African Butoh Experience When: Performances -December 5 and 6, 2025 Masterclasses – December 8–9, 2025 When: The Little Theatre, Hiddingh Campus, Cape Town Tickets: R350 Bookings at Quicket |
A wondrous Butoh experience, 1–2–3 As One is on the boards, December 5 and 6, 2025 at The Little Theatre, Hiddingh Campus, Cape Town. This Japanese-South African Butoh Experience is presented by jackï job, the renowned South African choreographer, academic researcher and theatre-maker. There will be two performances on stage (Dec 5 and 6), with job and celebrated Butoh artists Mitsuyo Uesugi and Yukio Suzuki. There will also be masterclasses. Intrigued? Read on for more. Info as supplied:
Innovative collaboration of Butoh performances creates visionary dialogue between language and culture
Renowned South African choreographer, academic researcher and theatre-maker jackï job presents a bold, new, provocative collaboration of performance and masterclasses that explore non-Western dance practices as a vehicle to unlock artistic engagement.
1–2–3 As One: A Japanese-South African Butoh Experience will be performed on December 5 and 6, 2025, at The Little Theatre on Hiddingh Campus in Cape Town.
Accompanied by a number of masterclasses, this programme celebrates a collaboration with internationally acclaimed Butoh artists Mitsuyo Uesugi and Yukio Suzuki.
Butoh is a form of Japanese contemporary dance theatre that uses slow, intense, powerful movement to explore the human condition and question of what is beautiful.
For the first time in South Africa, these three Butoh dancers become one in a provocative synthesis of cultures, dance, and states of being. 1–2–3 As One explores the evolution of consciousness and awareness as living forces — guiding a new expression of movement and presence. This is Butoh reborn — through Africa. A shared pulse. A single breath. A new beginning.
At its heart, 1–2–3 As One presents three Butoh solos that merge into one joint choreography. Each piece stands alone, yet all converge in a shared language of body and spirit. The result is a work that is unique, professional, and artistically daring — a performance unlike anything previously seen on South African stages.
Marking a new chapter in contemporary performance, thispartnership also forges a visionary dialogue between Japan and Africa — each radically different, yet united in presence. Intimate in its directness and daring in its depth, the work wanders into secret worlds, drawing audiences into a realm where imagination, vision, and dancing bodies intertwine.
“Butoh has always been a dance that breaks rules and conventions. 1–2–3 As One is an excellent example of this,” says jackï job. “This work asks: what do you see? What do you understand? The show moves inside and around these questions — shifting sensibilities, invoking dreams and revealing invisible worlds that are viscerally felt.”
Mitsuyo Uesugi is one of Japan’s most revered Butoh masters, a direct artistic descendant of the form’s earliest pioneers. Yukio Suzuki’s mastery lies in his seamless interplay of stillness and dexterous speed — his movements are both meditative and breathtaking. He is a leading contemporary Butoh artist and choreographer known for his arresting blend of stillness, swiftness, and sculptural control.
jackï job has more than three decades of experience in the dance. Her work redefines the landscape of performance with an innovative and boundary-pushing signature that continues to enthral. She is a pioneer of Butoh on the African continent and a rare artist who bridges scholarly inquiry with visceral artistry.
“I am humbled and proud to be working with these masters,” says job. “Come and witness this astounding performance, then join us at the masterclasses. With Butoh, you do not have do have dance training or be an experienced artist. We invite anyone who is interested in self-knowledge, curious and engaged in the world to attend.”
Masterclasses: Learning from the Masters
The 1–2–3 As One experience continues beyond the stage through a rare opportunity to study directly with these acclaimed artists. A series of masterclasses will run on December 8 and 9, inviting participants to engage deeply with the philosophy and practice of Butoh.
Each master will present a class on 8 December.
The joint class on 9 December is a rare and provocative encounter — at once beautiful, inspiring, and poetic — blending aspects of each master’s teaching and offering participants an immersive opportunity to experience the principles of Butoh in action.
Performances:
1–2–3 As One: A Japanese-South African Butoh Experience will be performed:
Dates: December 5 & 6, 2025 at 19h30
Venue: Little Theatre, Hiddingh Campus, Cape Town
Tickets cost R350
Bookings at Quicket
Masterclasses:
· 8 December
o 10:00 – 13:00: Yukio Suzuki
o 14:00 – 17:00: Mitsuyo Uesugi
o 18:00 – 21:00: jackï job
· 9 December
o 16:00 – 19:00: Combined class with all three masters
Bookings are essential. Space is limited.
Patrons can purchase separate tickets for each of the three Masterclasses on 8 December.
Participants may only book and attend the Joint Masterclass on 9 December if they have participated in one or more of the three Masterclasses.
· 1 Masterclass: R1,200
· 1 Combined Masterclass: R1,500
Book at Quicket
Social Media / Tagline Version
🖤 1–2–3 As One — Butoh reborn through Africa
Three dancers. One consciousness. A new beginning
📍 Little Theatre, Hiddingh Campus
📅 Performance December 5–6 | 🎟️ Masterclasses: December 8–9
About jackï job
jackï job is a pioneering performance artist, choreographer, and academic whose work has shaped the language of Butoh in Africa. Her practice explores the thresholds between animal and human, visible and invisible, movement and stillness. Bridging scholarly inquiry with visceral artistry, she continues to challenge and expand the understanding of embodiment and consciousness in performance. As the founder of groundbreaking cross-cultural collaborations, jackï has become a vital force in redefining Butoh for a new generation — one that breathes through Africa’s rhythms, questions, and dreams.
About Mitsuyo Uesugi
Mitsuyo Uesugi is one of Japan’s most revered Butoh masters, a direct artistic descendant of the form’s earliest pioneers. Her work is characterised by extraordinary stillness, precision, and depth — a distillation of presence that transforms time and space. Now in her seventies, she continues to mesmerise audiences worldwide with performances that reveal the quiet intensity of the human spirit and the delicate power of transformation through movement.
About Yukio Suzuki
Yukio Suzuki is a leading contemporary Butoh artist and choreographer known for his arresting blend of stillness, speed, and sculptural control. Trained under some of Japan’s foremost Butoh masters, Suzuki has developed a highly individual style — one that merges physical virtuosity with profound emotional clarity. His performances traverse the borders between tension and release, silence and explosion, offering audiences an experience that is both raw and transcendently precise.
✳ Featured image: 1–2–3 As One: A Japanese-South African Butoh Experience is being presented in Cape Town, December 2025, by jackï job, the renowned South African choreographer, academic researcher and theatre-maker. Sponsored content. Images supplied.
