Under the name of Corpus Delicti, twenty-four Los Angeles-based dancers came together to use their art and their bodies to protest war with Iraq. Their Butoh performance embodied the spirits of genocides past, crying out, “Not again!”

Butoh is a form of dance/theater, originating in post-WWII Japan in 1959. Beginning as an expression of protest to U.S. occupation and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the dance form has developed over the years, holding on to its signature white body makeup and ecstatically slow, often grotesque, body gestures.

Corpus Delicti is a legal term. It was a general rule not to convict unless the corpus delicti can be established, that is, until the dead body has been found. Instances have occurred of a person being convicted of having killed another, who, after the supposed criminal has been put to death for the supposed offence, has made his appearance - alive. The wisdom of the rule is apparent.

If you are interested in participating in future performances or would like more information about Corpus Delicti, please email corpusdance@hotmail.com.

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