Mayako Okura is a Butoh dancer based in Japan.
With the theme of “living with innocence, from moment to moment,” she explores improvised Butoh as a direct encounter with the self—allowing dance to emerge from the deep connection between body and consciousness.
Her works arise from simple, minimal movements, quietly awakening the audience’s imagination and inviting an awareness of immediate presence. Through deepening the relationship between body and consciousness, she continues to explore how dance can illuminate the innate vitality and freedom within each person.
Her practice centers on solo performances and extends to collaborations across disciplines, project-based works, writing, and workshops. She has performed at festivals in Japan and internationally, including Taiwan, Peru, and Norway. She also initiated a Butoh project connecting Japan and Taiwan.
In Japan, she serves as the representative of the Butoh group Nio, where she is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of Butoh dancers.
Representative Solo Works
• Slight Fever Days (Binetsu na Hibi)
• Trivial Matters (Sasaina Koto)
• To Tomorrow (Ashita e)
• Edge of Brightness (Akarusa no Fuchi)
• Here
• Pulse of the Earth, Vessel of Dawn (Chi no Myakukō, Akatsuki no Fune)