Originally created in 1981 by Ko Murobushi with and for Carlotta Ikeda, the leading female dancer of Butoh, UTT is one of the most emblematic pieces by the two founders of the Ariadone company. Both recently passed away (Murobushi in June 2015, Ikeda in September 2014), and they entrusted their artistic legacy to future generations, driven by a deep desire for transmission. Thus, in early 2014, in Bordeaux where the company is based, Carlotta Ikeda taught this historic piece to the young dancer Maï Ishiwata, in which the essence of Butoh is reflected.
A body in constant transformation, wrapped in various costumes and then naked, its face covered in white makeup to give universality to the message. A unique and vibrant solo, embodying the memory embedded in Japan's 'dance of darkness'—an archaic, unconscious, collective memory. "UTT is a journey," Ikeda declared at the time of its creation. "The path taken by a woman from life to death, or perhaps from death to life. UTT is a cry, an onomatopoeic sound emitted when you are brutally struck in the stomach."
A timeless portrait of women at different moments in their lives, reincarnated in the body of a dancer who paradoxically was not trained in Butoh but in contemporary dance. After four years of collaboration with her, Carlotta Ikeda chose her to revive this solo. Today UTT presents new interpretive nuances, yet its powerful impact remains unchanged.
