Holland Festival: Sister or He Buried the Body

Butoh and early modern dance

The solo sees Harrell imagine a speculative past, exploring the pioneer of traditional Japanese dance style butoh, Tatsumu Hijikata, and his possible connection with Afro-American anthropologist and choreographer Katherine Dunham, who allegedly influenced Hijikata’s studies in Tokyo.

Trajal Harrell about the performance

'Sister or He Buried the Body is a dance that, ideally, I will be able to dance until I am eighty, sitting down, using my hands. Including and representing older people is something that relates directly to butoh. This piece is my imaginative interpretation of an encounter between the ideas of Tatsumi Hijikata, pioneer of butoh, and the pioneer of Afro-American dances, Katherine Dunham. It should not be mistaken for a fusion; I do not do fusion dance. It’s my imaginative speculation from knowing they possibly met and shared a studio. I asked myself: how does that knowledge shape me as an artist?'

– Trajal Harrell, associate artist 2025