Carlotta Ikeda, a Japanese artist, studied Martha Graham's technique in Tokyo and performed extensively in Japan until 1964. In 1974, she founded her troupe Buto "Ariadone No Kai," composed exclusively of women. By 1978, she embarked on her first European tour, showcasing performances in Paris and numerous festivals. In collaboration with Ko Murobushi, she created choreographies such as Zarathoustra, Utt, and Hime.
Ikeda's works belong to the Buto genre, or "dance of darkness," which rejects the naturalistic plasticity of the Western body in favor of larval bodies expressing intense and restrained energy, often verging on immobility. The tragic obscenity of gestures in Buto shifts the spectator into a nocturnal, timeless dimension, charging the stage with mortal and apocalyptic meanings. This aesthetic is an expression of emotional and intellectual depth arising from the intersection of Eastern and Western influences.
"Chiisako" (meaning "the little child") is Ikeda's latest creation, premiered in Paris in February of this year. Here, Ikeda develops a highly personalized and original exploration, distinct from Murobushi's influence, with whom she collaborated for many years. Chiisako represents a journey through mythical creatures of Japan, used as a pretext to evoke the worlds of childhood and dreams. It begins with birth, the emergence from limbo, and a piercing cry upon entering the world. The performance progresses through various emotional stages: anguish, loneliness, exaltation, and mischief. The dance is tense and paroxysmal, featuring Ikeda's nude body painted white (evoking virginity and disembodiment), presenting a dense and unsettling vision susceptible to myriad metamorphoses.
Marcelle Michel wrote in Le Monde, "With Chiisako, Carlotta Ikeda has reached the peak of her expressive journey."
