The Nakedness of Being is an experiential and experimental performance course taught by distinguished guest artist, Eiko Otake, a New York-based movement artist. This course combines Eiko’s embodied creative practice with the study of postwar Japanese arts. Through the study of movement, readings, videos, and films students learn that space/time is not a white canvas that stands alone and empty. Here and now are continuous parts of a larger geography (space) and history (time) and as such are dense with memories, shadows, and possibilities. Viewings of art works and films from postwar Japan serve as examples of artistic representations of despair and perseverance. What is it to forget, remember, mourn, and pray? How do we transcend violence and loss? How does being or becoming a mover or dancer affect our emotional rigor, seeing/learning, and creativity? These are some of the many questions the class explores. This is not a dance class, nor is it geared only toward performers. The course encourages students to think about movement as a method of accessing human experiences and building knowledge, a way to explore sensations, thoughts, and reactions to a particular space.

1 unit — Otake

Offerings

Term	Block	Title	Instructor	Location	Student Limit/Available	Updated
Fall 2024	Block 4	The Nakedness of Being	Eiko Otake	Cornerstone Art Center 130	25 / 8	12/22/2024