In a small studio in Kichijoji, a director is telling three dancers that their heads are potatoes rolling around on a plate. And their three bald pates, poking up through a single piece of cardboard that holds them together, certainly have the appearance of earthy spuds, wobbling uncertainly across the makeshift surface.
So the instruction is a success, but it's only a small part of the atmosphere that Takuya Muramatsu wants his Butoh-ha Dattan (Tartar Butoh) troupe (an offshoot of the legendary Dairakudakan troupe) to create. After his three dancers — Tomoshi Shioya, Ikko Tamura and Atsushi Mastuda — have perfected that motion, it's time to tackle the tongues.
For almost 10 minutes or more, the four poke their tongues out at each other, the three dancers listening to the director's instructions, but, more importantly, watching his mobile and lively face to capture exactly what he's after.