Private Project

Meshi Chavez: The Butoh Body

What does it mean to fully inhabit our body and how do we achieve complete presence in the moment? Portland, Oregon-based dancer and choreographer Meshi Chavez describes his approach to the performance and teaching of butoh, an avant-garde dance form that originated in post-World War II Japan.

  • Juan Antonio Trujillo
    Director
    Companions: Lessons from Gay Mormon Missionaries
  • Juan Antonio Trujillo
    Writer
  • Juan Antonio Trujillo
    Producer
  • Meshi Chavez
    Key Cast
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 14, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    800 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • 360/Virtual Reality Student and XR Community Showcase
    Portland
    United States
    July 20, 2019
    Premiere
  • PDX Short Docs
    Portland, Oregon
    United States
    September 1, 2019
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Juan Antonio Trujillo

Juan Antonio Trujillo's nonfiction film work centers the stories of queer people of color. His approach is rooted in life experience as a queer Latino raised in a conservative religious tradition and informed by a lifelong academic career in linguistics and related social and cultural studies fields.

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Director Statement

The Butoh Body expands on earlier autobiographical pieces by taking a deeper look at the work of a teacher and friend whose way of navigating marginalized identities and his own sense of embodiment have had a lasting impact on myself and others who create connection and community around movement. The 360 degree video format takes the audience into the practice of butoh as it is experienced by the dancer, providing insights that viewing a typical stage performance might not reveal.