Hijikata, Mon Amour – Surface Area

Dance artist Vangeline is photographed wearing a full-length red costume. She is positioned close to the floor, arched forward, her head raised, and looking at the ground a short distance in front of her. Both of Vangeline’s arms are fully stretched behind her; in her hands, Vangeline is holding the lower part of the costume so that the shape and design of the garment are sculpted around her posture.

Vangeline is to return to the UK in November, delivering activities and the UK premiere of Hijikata, Mon Amour on the 10 of November at Dance City followed by a research period led by Vangeline in collaboration with Surface Area’s dance artists.

We look forward to sharing further news and developments.

Visceral, Daring, Celestial. Hijikata’s legendary costume is a totem of sorts; it holds secrets of the avant-garde art form.

Created in 2019 in celebration of Butoh’s 60th anniversary. A homage to the founder of butoh Tatsumi Hijikata. Vangeline performs in an exact replica of Tatsumi Hijikata’s 1968 costume recreated by Todd Thomas.

Much like Butoh, it was born at the confluence of East and West. This costume chronicles the evolution of postmodern art in Japan and, as such, deserves to be carefully studied and thrown into the limelight once again.

Thanks to a Janet Arnold Award from the Society of Antiquaries of London and a loan from the Tatsumi Hijikata Archives, Vangeline Theater/New York Butoh Institute researched how the costume was designed by recreating it.