Smart Bets: Asheville Butoh Festival

Established in 2000 by Julie Becton Gillum and the Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre, the Asheville Butoh Festival enters its 13th season with its most ambitious offerings to date. Celebrating the unusual dance form that ranges from grotesque and absurd to playful and humorous, the event is the longest-running butoh festival in the U.S. and brings globally renowned butoh artists to Western North Carolina. The 2019 edition includes workshops and performances by international guest artists Yuko Kaseki and Mari Osanai, and solo evening offerings by local dancers Jenni Cockrell and Constance Humphries. The festival runs April 25-28 and May 2-5 at BeBe Theatre and includes second opportunities to take in each performance and workshop. Tickets to individual shows are $18 students and seniors/$20 general admission. Workshops cost $40 each. ashevillebutoh.com. Photos courtesy of the performers

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About Edwin Arnaudin
Edwin Arnaudin is a staff writer for Mountain Xpress. He also reviews films for ashevillemovies.com and is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) and North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA). Follow me @EdwinArnaudin

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