Kazuo Ohno facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kazuo Ohno
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Ohno in October 1986
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| Born | October 27, 1906 Hakodate, Hokkaidō, Japan
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| Died | June 1, 2010 (aged 103) Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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| Alma mater | Japan Athletic College, Tokyo |
| Occupation | dancer |
| Years active | 1933–2007 |
| Known for | Butoh dance |
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Notable work
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"My Mother" "Dead Sea" "Water Lilies" "Ka Cho Fu Getsu" "The Road in Heaven, The Road in Earth" |
| Spouse(s) | Chie Nakagawa (died 1997) |
| Children | Yoshito Ohno |
| Awards | Michelangelo Antonioni Award for the Arts (1999) |
Kazuo Ohno (大野 一雄, Ōno Kazuo, October 27, 1906 – June 1, 2010) was a famous Japanese dancer. He became a very important person in a special dance style called Butoh. He also wrote several books about Butoh, like The Palace Soars through the Sky and Food for the Soul.
Ohno once said that the best compliment he could get was if someone cried while watching him dance. He felt it wasn't important for people to understand his dance, but rather to simply feel something from it.
Contents
Early Life and Dance Beginnings
Kazuo Ohno was born in Hakodate City, Hokkaido, Japan, on October 27, 1906. When he was in junior high, he was very good at sports. He finished college in 1929 and became a physical education teacher.
In 1933, Ohno started learning modern dance from famous Japanese dancers like Baku Ishii. This helped him become a dance teacher at a girls' school in Yokohama. He taught there until he retired in 1980.
In 1938, Ohno joined the Japanese Army. He fought in China and New Guinea. He was captured and became a prisoner of war. His experiences during the war later inspired some of his dance pieces, such as Jellyfish Dance. This dance was a way for him to think about the soldiers who were buried at sea.
Developing Butoh Dance
After the war, Ohno went back to dancing. In 1949, he performed his first solo dances in Tokyo. In the 1950s, he met Tatsumi Hijikata. Hijikata inspired Ohno to help create a new dance form called Butoh. This dance style grew out of the difficult times in Japan after the war.
Hijikata didn't like the Western dance styles that were popular then. He worked with Ohno and other dancers to create new movements and ideas. In 1961, this new style was named the Ankoku Butoh-ha movement.
During the 1960s, Ohno found his own unique dance style. He also continued to work with Tatsumi Hijikata. In 1977, he performed his solo dance called La Argentina Sho. This dance was directed by Hijikata and was a tribute to a famous Spanish dancer named Antonia Mercé. Ohno had seen her perform many years before.
He won a special award for this performance in Japan. Then, he took the dance on tour around the world. He performed in places like France, London, and New York City. His dance had a big impact on the international dance world.
Ohno created two more important dances with Hijikata's help: My Mother and Dead Sea. He performed these with his son, Yoshito Ohno. Other dances he created include Water Lilies and The Road in Heaven, The Road in Earth. Ohno received several cultural awards for his contributions to dance.
Teaching and Legacy
In 1949, Ohno opened the Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio. In 1961, he built a special studio in Hodogaya, Yokohama, for creating and practicing his dances.
Today, his son, Yoshito Ohno, runs the studio. They hold workshops and put on performances. They also have a Butoh archive. This archive collects and organizes everything about Butoh and Kazuo Ohno's work. Students can still attend classes at the studio, which are led by Yoshito.
Later Years and Passing
Even when he lost his ability to walk in 2001, Ohno kept dancing. He found ways to express himself just by moving his hands. In his last years, he was cared for at home by a nurse. However, he still appeared on stage, especially in his son Yoshito Ohno's Butoh performances.
In January 2007, Ohno made his last public appearance. It was at a special event celebrating his 100th birthday. Kazuo Ohno passed away on June 1, 2010, in Yokohama, Japan, at the age of 103.
See also
In Spanish: Kazuo Ōno para niños
