HNA 2013 Keynote During the Banquet on Saturday 8/17/2013: Butoh Performer and Speaker Don McLeod
Don McLeod was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He grew up as an only child on a small rural farm near Mendocino, in Northern California.
McLeod studied movement and theatre at Pasadena Playhouse, School of Performing Arts San Diego, and the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada. His dynamic style of physical theatre and dance was developed by his training with a number of the world's leading artists including Marcel Marceau, Etienne Decroux, Jerzy Grotowski and Sankai Juku.
Don's interest in butoh began during his many trips to Japan, starting the late '70s. His butoh style has developed after many years studying the techniques of Japan's leading butoh artists including Kazuo Ohno, Yoko Ashikawa, Akaji Maro and most recently with Yukio Waguri, who passed on the "secret" teachings of Tatsumi Hijikata and his Butoh Fu techniques. His physical theatre career began when he studied with Marcel Marceau in the early '70s.
McLeod went on to form his own professional company and also began appearing in films, television and solo concerts throughout the U.S. In 1974 he was selected as a resident performing artist at the World's Fair in Washington, and then was chosen to be a featured part of singer Diana Ross's World Tour. He has performed for President Jimmy Carter, appeared with Ms. Ross on Broadway, and toured his solo show in Japan since 1983. He has lived and performed extensively in Argentina, South Africa, Japan and Canada, and toured his solo show to numerous colleges, theatres and high schools in the U.S., Canada and abroad.
Don is also a widely published haiku poet, whose work has appeared in nearly all of the major haiku journals both in North America and in Japan. His first haiku collection Small Town Big City, won 2nd place in the Haiku Society of America’s 1987 Book Awards.
momentary dolphins
woven in the curl
of a summer wave
- Donald McLeod
More information about Don McLeod and about Butoh can be found on his web sites:
www.zenbutoh.com or www.livingstatue.com
For a History of Butoh, click this link -> http://www.zenbutoh.com/history.htm
McLeod studied movement and theatre at Pasadena Playhouse, School of Performing Arts San Diego, and the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada. His dynamic style of physical theatre and dance was developed by his training with a number of the world's leading artists including Marcel Marceau, Etienne Decroux, Jerzy Grotowski and Sankai Juku.
Don's interest in butoh began during his many trips to Japan, starting the late '70s. His butoh style has developed after many years studying the techniques of Japan's leading butoh artists including Kazuo Ohno, Yoko Ashikawa, Akaji Maro and most recently with Yukio Waguri, who passed on the "secret" teachings of Tatsumi Hijikata and his Butoh Fu techniques. His physical theatre career began when he studied with Marcel Marceau in the early '70s.
McLeod went on to form his own professional company and also began appearing in films, television and solo concerts throughout the U.S. In 1974 he was selected as a resident performing artist at the World's Fair in Washington, and then was chosen to be a featured part of singer Diana Ross's World Tour. He has performed for President Jimmy Carter, appeared with Ms. Ross on Broadway, and toured his solo show in Japan since 1983. He has lived and performed extensively in Argentina, South Africa, Japan and Canada, and toured his solo show to numerous colleges, theatres and high schools in the U.S., Canada and abroad.
Don is also a widely published haiku poet, whose work has appeared in nearly all of the major haiku journals both in North America and in Japan. His first haiku collection Small Town Big City, won 2nd place in the Haiku Society of America’s 1987 Book Awards.
momentary dolphins
woven in the curl
of a summer wave
- Donald McLeod
More information about Don McLeod and about Butoh can be found on his web sites:
www.zenbutoh.com or www.livingstatue.com
For a History of Butoh, click this link -> http://www.zenbutoh.com/history.htm