MAN WOMAN
16 September @ 7.00pm to 9.00pm
About MAN WOMAN
A bold reimagining of Butoh dance for today
MAN WOMAN is a visually striking new dance performance by New York-based choreographer and performer Vangeline.
Inspired by Eikoh Hosoe’s famous Man and Woman photo series featuring Butoh pioneers Tatsumi Hijikata and Motofuji, the performance reimagines these celebrated images through a contemporary feminist lens.
Butoh is a Japanese avant-garde dance form known for its highly expressive movement exploring transformation, identity and the body’s ability to cross boundaries.
Drawing on Hosoe’s photographs as inspiration, MAN WOMAN combines Vangeline’s distinctive movement language with costumes by visionary queer artist Machine Dazzle and a richly textured electro-acoustic score by Ray Barragan-Sweeten.
Placing the female body at the centre, MAN WOMAN reimagines Hosoe’s work from a contemporary feminist perspective, asking what happens when women are no longer defined in relation to a male presence, but become the authors of their own stories.
Post-show discussion
A live discussion will follow after the performance with the artist and Dr Baldock (women’s roles in Butoh history), deepening the enquiry into gender, memory and queer aesthetics.
We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive space and ask everyone to contribute to a respectful discussion during the Q&A.
Reviews
“Vangeline … becomes a complete being – male and female, animal, vegetable and mineral, down to earth and out of time.”
DanceViewTimes
Tickets
Please see important booking information below.
Booking information
Ticket prices:
From £10.00 to £18.15
Tickets are subject to a booking fee
Dates & times:
Wednesday 16 September 2026 at 7.00pm
Running time:
2 hours, including a 15-minute interval and post-show talk.
Location:
Theatre
Age guidance:
14+
Warning:
This show contains fog, strobe and lighting effects.
About Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities
Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities is a major new cultural and academic landmark for the University of Oxford, bringing together seven humanities faculties with performance, exhibition, and public engagement spaces under one roof. Located in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, it is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration while opening the humanities to a wider public through events, performances, and year-round programming.
At its heart are world-class venues including a concert hall, theatre, cinema, recital spaces, and galleries, supported by flexible teaching and meeting facilities. A central atrium acts as a social hub, blending academic life with informal gathering spaces, cafés, and exhibitions. More than a university facility, the Centre functions as a civic cultural destination, connecting scholarship with creative practice and strengthening Oxford’s wider cultural life.
