Mother Forest

Surface Area Dance Theatre, in partnership with Dance City, is delighted to support Mother Forest as part of Rebellious Bodies Festival 2026.
Mother Forest is a striking new ensemble work bringing together three generations of Butoh lineage on a UK stage for the first time.
This once-in-a-lifetime ensemble piece, in which three generations of butoh lineage come together in an homage to Kazuo Ohno (one of the key founding figures of butoh) and his philosophy of dance as something spontaneous and unrepeatable.
The group is led by Mitsuyo Uesugi, who trained and performed alongside Ohno for several decades, and she is joined by four extraordinary artists: Makiko Takamatsu, Seiji Tanaka and the MUTSUMINEIRO duo, who have each been shaped by Uesugi’s practice whilst bringing their own fierce, distinctive voices to this living continuation of Ohno's spirit.
Experience this powerful performance in the North East of England at Dance City Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne:
Tuesday 17 November 2026
7:30pm
Tickets: https://www.dancecity.co.uk/performance/308299/mother-forest/
Rebellious Bodies Festival 2026 has been made possible with support from Arts Council England, The Japan Foundation – 国際交流基金 and NPO Dance Archive Network.
The "Mother Forest" performance at Dance City Theatre is supported by Surface Area Dance Theatre and Dance City.
Photo by Sho Sugano