TOTEM – Void and Height

Born in Yokosuka, Japan in 1949, Ushio Amagatsu founded the butoh company Sankai Juku in 1975.

He created Amagatsu Sho (1977), Kinkan Shonen (1978) and Sholiba (1979) before embarking on his first world tour in 1980. He started working and creating in France in 1981, particularly at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. That same year, he created Bakki for the Festival d'Avignon. With Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, he has created and co-produced 16 productions since 1982.

Amagatsu also worked independently outside Sankai Juku. In 1988, he created Fushi on the invitation of Jacob’s Pillow Foundation (USA), with music by Philip Glass. In 1989, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Spiral Hall in Tokyo where he directed Apocalypse (1989), and Fifth-V (1990).

In February 1997, he directed the opera Bluebeard's Castle by Bartok conducted by Peter Eötvos at the Tokyo International Forum. In March 1998 at Opéra National de Lyon, France, he directed the world premiere of Peter Eötvos’s opera Three Sisters, which received the Prix du Syndicat National de la Critique Award in France. Three Sisters has been staged for the 2001–2002 season at Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, at Opéra National de Lyon, and at Wiener Festwochen, Austria, in 2002.

In March 2008, Amagatsu directed another opera by Peter Eötvos, Lady Sarashina, which premiered at Opéra National de Lyon and received the Prix du Syndicat National de la Critique, France. It was later staged in Opera Comique in February 2009 and in Teatr Wielki, Polish National Opera, Warsaw in April 2013.

Amagatsu has also presided on the jury of International Choreographic Competition of National Academy of Dance, Italy (2011), the Jury of the Toyota Choreography award (2002–2005) and the Jury of the International Meeting of Dance of Bagnolet (1992).

Awards and merits received include: Commandeur de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres by French Cultural Ministry (2014), the Purple-Ribbon Medal by the Japanese government (2011), Geijyutsu Sensho Prize (Art Encouragement Prize) by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (2004) and Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Letters by French Cultural Ministry (1992). The work HIBIKI received the 26th Laurence Olivier Awards (UK) for Best New Dance Production (2002).

Amagatsu passed in March 2024 at the age of 74. 

Sankai Juku is a butoh dance company founded by the director and choreographer Ushio Amagatsu in 1975.

Since 1982, Sankai Juku has premiered a new work approximately once every two years, 17 of which were commissioned by Théâtre de la Ville, Paris. Sankai Juku has performed in 47 countries and visited more than 700 cities in the world.