Darkness and Brilliance

The experimental dance form known as butoh developed after World War II in Japan, a devastated and subjugated land where tradition was finally being challenged as many citizens believed a rigid adherence to tradition sent the nation on such an ill-fated course. Butoh delved into concepts of darkness, metaphorically and literally, and turned away from both Western and ancient Japanese notions of dance.
In a Miami premiere, cutting-edge Japanese choreographer Kota Yamazaki takes aspects of butoh and mixes it with African dance, along with novel sets and architectural flourishes, for Glowing, which Miami Light Project is bringing to the Light Box at Goldman Warehouse (404 NW 26th St., Miami) this Friday and Saturday. Dancers from Senegal and Ethiopia join those from Japan and the United States on a stage designed on principles of a classic Japanese house, where the performers emerge from and then recede into shadows and dimly lit corners as part of their explorations of darkness and dreamy illusions. Yamazaki has worked with dancers, writers, and architects across the globe and now bases his company in New York City.

Fri., Jan. 25, 8 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 26, 8 p.m., 2013