Bouffon & Falsification (Updated: 8/26/17)

Bouffon is the art of mockery. It can be utilized on the audience, other dancers, or even the self. The usefulness comes from breaking down the seriousness or structure of both the target and instigator. In the act of breaking the foundation, novel movement or qualia can be discovered. The bouffon makes fun of, exaggerates, and may take on a bootleg, wobbly, decrepit, and/or half-rate version of the source material.

Exercise 1: Fake Butoh

Dance what it feels like to be inauthentic, copycat, or a sell-out of butoh. Know of butoh stereotypes? Copy them. Have you heard yourself or another mention what butoh is not? Engage that form. Maybe even dance butoh not for itself but as a means to an end (an ulterior motive). You might even be pretending to dance butoh because there is nothing else better to do.

Exercise 2: Bouffon Behind World

One or more participants are the bouffon who are the behind world while the target is the ash walker. The bouffons mock the ash walker to the very end.

Exercise 3: Bouffon Circle

Everybody is a bouffon in this exercise. The participants travel around in a circle. Everybody is mocking the person in front of them, but at the same time being mocked from behind.

Name Calling a Bouffon

Woe to he/she/they who tries to insult a bouffon via names. The bouffon will eat up any insult and regurgitate it back. The scenario can however be an exercise, but it is especially not for the faint of heart.

Exercise: Stealing the Bullet

One participant calls another an insulting name (moron, pig, piece of shit, etc.) and the bouffon actually becomes the name in utmost mockery. For instance, if you are called a pig, you actually become one and enjoy being one, and may even bear a large smile.