“Water is a potent force in Howl, periodically gushing down onto Kaseki’s head from a suspended pail, caus­ing her face to squash into a wince and her body to sag. A shiny square on the floor becomes a pool in which she embarrassedly confronts her reflection. In the end,...Continued

“In his program notes for “Beast of Grass,” Mr. Iwana stated, “I only want to be as I am.” Indeed, he seemed to be just getting to know his naked body, which was decorated with swathes of chipping plaster, rib­bons and swinging bells that chimed violently as he lurched...Continued

“In “Before the Dawn,” Yumiko Yoshioka’s body became a menager­ie of strange creatures. A founding member of the all-female Butoh company Ariadone, she appeared in voluminous red robes, her face masked. When her hands emerged from the fabric, they skittered over her body like spiders or pecked at her...Continued

“In “Eros and Thanatos,” the masterly Daisuke Yoshimoto followed a ragged red rib­bon from the back to the front of the stage. Covered in white paint and na­ked except for a thong, his taut body bent double, he walked in painstak­ing, tremblingly slow fashion. When he finally rose, his...Continued

“‘Handsome Blue’ Sky revolves around four supple, brass-colored metallic sheets that allude to costumes in Hijikata’s seminal “Rebellion of the Body (Nikutai no Hanran),” which the Edge performers manipulate to light-reflecting, crashing effect. The heart of Mr. Murobushi’s piece is a duet for him and one of the sheets,...Continued

“Shinichi Koga’s Love Is Shock was, as befits a final piece, the strongest of the afternoon. It involved all the elements of the other two pieces: use of the imagination, forcing the audience members to question what they think are their perceptions, movements that seemed mundane but that involved...Continued

“The second piece, Vooja Day, started out comedically, with Mr. Fuller, wearing a large rubber head on his shoulders and huge padded genitals, pecking out from behind the curtain before coming on stage. His musicians, a percussionist and an accordionist not only elicited alternative sounds from their instruments, they...Continued

“‘Handsome Blue Sky’ recounts, among other things, the atomic catastro­phe of World War II through the transformations of the body. It began in the aftermath: a powerful solo in near dark­ness, with Mr. Murobushi hunkered down on his knees. Only the backs of his feet were visible as he...Continued

“In the rarefied, underground world of experimental free improvisation, saxophonist Jack Wright is king.” – The Washington Post