TUMBLING TUMBLEWEED

by
Irem Calikusu and John Schneider

Irem Calikusu's life as a dancer started in Istanbul, in Theater Research Lab with Mustafa Kaplan in 1995. Being deeply moved by a butoh performance she saw in Istanbul, she went on to complete a Master's thesis on Butoh and postwar politics at the Anthropology Department of Umass, Amherst while training with Maureen Fleming. She has studied with Akira Kasai, Ko Murobushi, Su-En and Setsuko Yamada. Her biggest inspiration was the five months she spent training with Min Tanaka at the Body Weather Farm. She has performed in various venues in Istanbul and in New York including Cave Gallery, Chashama and Merce Cunningham Studio.

John Schneider began his dance training with Orchesis African Dance Ensemble, performing with Onye Ozuzu's Pangea Panacea. His dance work grows directly from his trips to Min Tanaka's Body Weather Farm. He has trained in Butoh with Anzu Furukawa, Akira Kasai and Ko Murobushi. John has most recently performed at Cave Gallery.