butoh classes London: About Us

Weekly Butoh Classes, Jams & Performances
2026/2027

Butoh Course - you can join anytime between October 2026 and July 2027

by London Butoh Dance Company

WEEKLY BUTOH CLASSES, JAMS & PERFORMANCES

2026–2027

Saturdays, 5:00 to 7:00pm

St John's Centre
64 Larcom St
London SE17 1NQ

A year of movement, transformation, improvisation and performance

London Butoh Dance Company · Posthuman Theatre

Saturdays, 5:00 to 7:00pm
St John's Centre, 64 Larcom St, London SE17 1NQ

October 2026 to July 2027

A weekly space to explore Butoh, movement, imagination and performance.

Over three terms, we will explore:

GROUNDING → RISING → DISSOLVING

You can join for a single drop in ([Book a drop in here]), one month, one term, or the whole year (to book full month or term/s email posthumantheatre@gmail.com - more information below).

WHAT IS BUTOH?

Butoh is an experimental movement practice that originated in Japan in the late 1950s.

Rather than learning a fixed movement style, we use Butoh to investigate the body through sensation, imagination, physical states, imagery and improvisation.

Classes can include stillness, walking, movement meditation, visualisation, physical theatre, yoga, partner work, group improvisation and performance.

Sometimes the movement is tiny and internal. Sometimes it becomes strange, playful, powerful or physically demanding.

There is no particular way you need to move or look.

You do not need to be a dancer or have any previous Butoh experience.

THE PROGRAMME

The year is divided into three terms, each exploring a different stage of transformation.

TERM 1: GROUNDING

October to December 2026

We begin with the relationship between the body and the ground.

We explore weight, gravity, density, roots, support, stillness and what it means to feel grounded.

The term includes a Halloween public sharing, a Butoh Jam and an end of term public sharing.

Date Session

Saturday 10 October Class 1

Saturday 17 October Class 2

Saturday 24 October Class 3

Saturday 31 October 🎃 Class 4 + Halloween Public Sharing

Saturday 7 November Class 5

Saturday 14 November Class 6

Saturday 21 November Class 7

Saturday 28 November Class 8

Saturday 5 December 🌑 Butoh Jam

Saturday 12 December Class 10 + End of Term Public Sharing

🎃 Halloween Public Sharing

Saturday 31 October

An informal and experimental opportunity to share work emerging from the first weeks of the term.

You might share a solo, duet, trio, group exploration or improvisation.

There is no requirement for the work to be Halloween themed.

🌑 Butoh Jam

Saturday 5 December

An open experimental session for improvisation, scores, images and ideas developed throughout the term.

The Jam is a space for research rather than polished performance.

End of Term Public Sharing

Saturday 12 December

The term concludes with an informal public sharing followed by a collective group improvisation.

Christmas and New Year Break

19 December 2026 to January 2027

TERM 2: RISING

February to April 2027

After grounding comes movement upwards.

We explore expansion, growth, suspension, reaching, lifting and emergence.

The work gradually moves from individual research into duets, trios and larger group work.

DateSession

Saturday 6 February Class

Saturday 13 February Class

Saturday 20 February Class

Saturday 27 February Public Sharing

Saturday 6 March Class

Saturday 13 March Class

Saturday 20 March Class

Saturday 27 March Easter Public Sharing

Saturday 3 April Class

Saturday 10 April Class

Saturday 17 April Class

Saturday 24 April Public Sharing

The monthly public sharings are informal opportunities to show work in progress, improvisations or more developed pieces.

TERM 3: DISSOLVING

May to July 2027

What happens when the boundaries of the body begin to disappear?

We explore fragmentation, melting, merging, dispersal and transformation.

The work becomes increasingly collective as we explore what happens when individual bodies become part of something larger.

DateSession

Saturday 1 May No class

Saturday 8 May Class

Saturday 15 May Class

Saturday 22 May Class

Saturday 29 May Public Sharing

Saturday 5 June Class

Saturday 12 June Class

Saturday 19 June Class

Saturday 26 June Public Sharing

Saturday 3 July Class

Saturday 10 July Class

Saturday 17 July Class

Saturday 24 July Final Public Sharing

The final public sharing brings together material from across the year.

FROM INDIVIDUAL TO COLLECTIVE

The three terms gradually shift the focus of the work.

GROUNDING

Individual → pairs → small groups

We begin with our own body, weight and physical presence.

RISING

Individual → duets → trios → larger groups

We explore how bodies affect, support, resist and transform one another.

DISSOLVING

Small groups → larger groups → collective

The distinction between individual and group becomes increasingly fluid.

If you stay for the whole year, the programme becomes a progression from:

SELF → RELATIONSHIP → COLLECTIVE BODY

WHAT HAPPENS IN A CLASS?

Every week is different.

A class might include:

• Butoh practice and improvisation
• Butoh walking
• Movement meditation
• Yoga and somatic work
• Guided imagery and visualisation
• Physical theatre
• Partner and group work
• Voice and breath
• Composition and performance
• Experimental scores

Some classes are quiet and meditative. Others are playful, physical, strange or challenging.

The emphasis is on curiosity, exploration and discovering new possibilities within the body.

PERFORMANCE AND PUBLIC SHARING

Performance is part of the programme, but you do not need to be an experienced performer.

Throughout the year there will be opportunities to share solos, duets, group work, improvisations and work in progress.

Participation in public sharing is optional, but encouraged.

Each sharing ends with a collective group improvisation.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Everyone is welcome.

You do not need previous experience in Butoh, dance or performance.

The classes are for anyone interested in:

Butoh · Movement · Dance · Physical Theatre · Improvisation · Performance · Somatic Practice · Visual Art · Exploring the Body

You do not need to be flexible, fit or a trained dancer.

Come as you are and work within your own physical possibilities.

JOIN FOR AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE AS YOU LIKE

You can join the programme in different ways.

PRICING

Booking option Sessions Price

Drop in 1 class £20 (booking link)

1 month 4 sessions £65 (December 2026 is £30)

2 months 8 sessions £125

3 months 12 sessions £180

Term 1: Grounding 10 sessions £160

Term 2: Rising 12 sessions £180

Term 3: Dissolving 12 sessions £180

Terms 1 + 2 22 sessions £335

Terms 2 + 3 24 sessions £350

Full year 34 sessions £495

You can join for just one month if you would like to try the classes before committing to a full term.

Drop ins are also welcome, subject to availability.

[Book a drop in here]

For monthly, term or full year bookings, email:

posthumantheatre@gmail.com

Please include your name and the month or term you would like to attend.

10% CONCESSION

A 10% concession is available for students, disabled participants and unemployed participants.

Booking option Concession price

1 month £58.50

2 months £112.50

3 months £162

Term 1 £144

Term 2 £162

Term 3 £162

Terms 1 + 2 £301.50

Terms 2 + 3 £315

Full year £445.50

Please contact us if you are unsure which rate applies to you.

🌑 BURSARY OPPORTUNITY

Three Term 1 Bursaries Available

We are offering three bursaries for Term 1 for people who would otherwise not be able to afford to take part.

The bursaries are part of our ongoing commitment to making experimental dance and theatre training more accessible.

Disabled Bursary

For participants with disabilities.

Global Majority Bursary

For participants from Black, Asian and other Global Majority communities.

Open Bursary

For anyone experiencing financial barriers to participation.

Each bursary covers all 10 sessions of Term 1.

10 October to 12 December 2026

Saturdays, 5:00 to 7:00pm

St John's Centre, 64 Larcom St, London SE17 1NQ

HOW TO APPLY

Email posthumantheatre@gmail.com with:

• A little about yourself
• Which bursary you are applying for
• Why you would like to join
• Why financial support would help

You do not need to provide extensive personal or financial documentation.

Application deadline: Wednesday 30 September 2026

If you are not awarded a bursary, you are still very welcome to join through our standard or concession pricing if eligible.

ACCESSIBILITY AND CARE

You are encouraged to adapt the practice according to your own body and circumstances.

If you have an injury, disability or access requirement, please contact us before attending so we can discuss how the practice might be adapted.

The studio is a space for experimentation, curiosity, play and mutual respect.

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

Term Dates Sessions Theme Price

Term 1 Oct to Dec 2026 10 GROUNDING £160

Term 2 Feb to Apr 2027 12 RISING £180

Term 3 May to Jul 2027 12 DISSOLVING £180

Full year Oct 2026 to Jul 2027 34 £495

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I need previous Butoh experience?

No. The classes are open to complete beginners as well as people with previous experience in Butoh, dance, theatre, yoga or other movement practices.

Do I need to be a dancer?

No. Butoh does not require conventional dance training. The classes are about exploring the body, imagination, sensation and presence.

- Can I join for just one month?

Yes. You can book a single month for £65.

- Can I join for just one class?

Yes. Drop ins are available for £18, subject to availability.

- Can I join for just one term?

Yes. Each term has its own theme and progression, so you can join at the beginning of any term.

- Can I join halfway through a term?

Yes. Monthly and drop in options are available during the term, subject to availability. Please email us if you would like to join after the term has started.

- Can I attend the public sharings?

Yes. Public sharings are open to audiences as well as course participants.

- Do I have to perform?

No. Participation in public sharing is optional, although we strongly encourage participants to experience sharing their work.

- What should I wear?

Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely.

- Is the work very physical?

It's as physical as you want/need it. Butoh includes stillness, small movement, walking, sensory work, imagination and internal attention as well as larger physical movement.

- Is there a concession?

Yes. A 10% concession is available for students, disabled participants and unemployed participants.

- Is there a bursary?

Yes. Three Term 1 bursaries are available: a Disabled Bursary, a Global Majority Bursary and an Open Bursary.

Applications close 30 September 2026.

- Can I book for the whole year?

Yes. The full year is £495 and includes all three terms.

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK

“Taking intro to Butoh with Aleks was one of the most transformative things I have experienced. I came away with a completely new acceptance of and sense of awe for my body and its strangeness.”

Freddie

“What I have learnt has opened me up to all sorts of creative possibilities. It can be challenging and also very funny.”

Alison

“It often felt like a posthuman experience!”

Christina

“An amazing journey into an unknown territory called ‘me’.”

Klaus, London

“I really enjoyed the challenge of working in silence and the exercises using the imagination.”

Denize

“Aleks’ workshops and classes have taken me across thresholds and into images and experiences that have touched me deeply.”

Rachel Jane Cooke, Intersectional Relational Therapist & Writer

LONDON BUTOH DANCE COMPANY

London Butoh Dance Company is an experimental dance and performance company exploring Butoh, physical theatre, posthumanism, embodiment and transformation.

Our work brings together movement research, performance, teaching and community practice, creating spaces where bodies can become unfamiliar and new possibilities can emerge.

Weekly Classes · Jams · Performances · Workshops · Experimental Practice