Water in the Desert (WITD) is a Portland-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to presenting cross-cultural contemporary performances and educational events that respond to our collective need to forge meaning and connection through the presentation of artistic expression and collaboration. It is the mission of Water in the Desert to do this in a way that showcases the global influence of butoh, physical theatre, contemporary performance and other genres which seek to connect with audiences through the creation of emotional and primal states of intimacy. Themes often examined in WITD productions include ritual, identity, ecology and diversity.

Founded in 2007 by Co-Executive Directors Mizu Desierto & John marc Schaelling, WITD serves Portland students and audiences annually by bringing artists-in-residence to present original work, offer workshops, and collaborate on original performances with local artists.  We also produce our own original dance theatre works.  In January 2010 we received Oregon non-profit status.

About butoh:

Butoh emerged as a dance-art form in the late 1950’s, as Japan struggled to redefine itself as a nation in the aftermath of WWII and the Allied occupation.  It was a time of intense political, economic and social upheaval that proved the perfect growth medium for new ideas and forms of artistic expression.

Challenged to reconcile their history and deeply held cultural traditions with a new world order dominated by the Western economic development and Cold War politics, the people of Japan grappled with what it meant to be Japanese.  As part of that process, Butoh led a revolt against the cultural and artistic affectations and conventions encoded in Japan’s classical tradition.  Butoh’s founders, Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno, sought to transcend the limits of traditional dance (both Eastern and Western) and connect with audiences at a primal, non-rational level to explore issues of Japanese identity and personal meaning.

The philosophy and teachings of the butoh lineage is a central influence upon our programs.  Since its inception, butoh has been a dialogue between east and west, equally influencing and influenced by the contemporary dance innovations of German Expressionism.  While we regularly seek to highlight the origins of butoh and its evolutions upon the global stage, we also seek to present artists of all backgrounds, whose work is fused with a certain spirit and heart of rebellion, originality and transformation.

Diego Piñón, Mexican Artist and Founder of Butoh-Ritual Mexicano