Born in Tokyo in 1952, Waguri is a butoh performer who studied directly under Tatsumi Hijikata. He possesses the expressiveness of a hard yet supple body capable of holding beautiful, clearly defined poses and forms and delicately dancing subtle nuances. The diversity of his dancing, which is enacted principally by the transformations of that expressiveness, points to new possibilities for butoh of the future. Waguri has inherited Hijikata’s choreography using the unique Butohfu (Butoh Score), which evokes bodily images by means of words, and further developed his own choreography. He has also devoted his energies to collaboration with artists in other genres. In 1998, he published a CD-ROM titled Butoh kaden (Transmission of the Butoh Flower), which created an occasion for a reevaluation of butoh, with a focus on Hijikata’s dance composition method. In addition to a variety of performance activities, Waguri currently holds widespread butoh workshops at universities and research institutions in Japan and other countries.

The principal works he has performed in are Shiki no tame no nijunana ban (27 evenings for the four seasons), performed by Tatsumi Hijikata (1972); Shizuka na ie (Quiet House), performed by Tatsumi Hijikata (1973); and Hakutobo renzoku koen (Hakutobo Performance Series) (1974-1978). His principal choreographed works include Shizumeru taki (Sunken Waterfall) (1995), Butoh kaden (Transmission of the Butoh Flower) (1996), Erora – ishi no yume (Erola: Dream of Stone) (1997), Chi no hone (Bone of earth) (2000), Tamashii no tabi (Journey of the Spirit) (2003, work for participation in the New York Butoh Festival), and Nikutai no meikyu (Labyrinth of the Body) (2010), among others.

Kawamoto began studying under Yukio Waguri, one of Tatsumi Hijikata’s disciples from the later period, in 1992. From then until she left his company in 1998, she was active as a principal dancer for Yukio Waguri and Kozen-Sha. In 2000, she started the Shinonome Butoh Company.
With an established reputation for a presence so substantial that she can change the entire atmosphere just by standing still, Kawamoto also has many fans for her humorous works. Her appeal and power to draw people are not limited to the stage, but show also in her workshops and her process of creating works. Kawamoto learned the Hijikata method from Yukio Waguri, making her one of only a few younger butoh performers to carry on in that line. Lately she has received numerous requests to hold workshops and choreograph works at universities and high schools in other countries.
Kawamoto’s principal works include Hitobire (A Human Presence) (2000, work for participation in the 4th Park Tower Next Dance Festival), and Haru no uta (Spring Song) (2007), while jointly choreographed works include 0120 (Yuko Kawamoto and Tenmetsu, 2008) and Curators of Metropolis (with Frances Barve, invitational work for the London Butoh Festival, 2009), among others.

Born in 1950, Morishita has been involved with the production of butoh performances since 1972 as a member of Tatsumi Hijikata’s butoh studio Asbestos Hall. After working at a publishing company, on the occasion of Hijikata’s death in 1986 he participated in the establishment and management of the Tatsumi Hijikata memorial museum. He has since engaged in planning and organizing exhibitions and symposiums related to Hijikata.
Today, Morishita manages the Tatsumi Hijikata Archive located in the Research Center for the Arts and Arts Administration at Keio University. He is also a part-time lecturer in the Faculty of Letters at Keio University and representative chairman of the NPO Butoh Souzou Shigen. His literary works include Tatsumi Hijikata, Butohfu no butoh — Kigou no souzou, houhou no hakken (Tatsumi Hijikata, butoh based on the butoh score—the creation of symbols, the discovery of method).