About

Eric Larsen Dance and Studio la Mer are devoted to investigating the nature of “mind”, where mind is not limited to the human brain; nor is mind limited to animate or even to inanimate beings. Mind is the stars, the clouds, as well as beer cans and nuclear waste. Eric Larsen Dance and Studio la Mer explore, investigate, and realize this ‘mind’ though dance.

We ‘dance’ where dance, religion, prayer, storytelling, and daily life are not separate. Believing that artist storytellers have a critical role to play in response to the decline of civilization and the environment, we join with others in the playful, yet serious, making of stories, breathing life into the narratives that we live by.

“…darkness exists because there is light…” Yukio Mikami.

Eric Larsen Biography

1969 Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts (Le Corbusier building)
BA in Applied Engineering
              Work with visiting visual artists
Bruno Munari, Italy
                            Kurt Kranz, Bauhaus, Germany student of Joseph Alpers
                            Yaacov Agam, Paris
              Performing Artist in “Eric” – 16 minute black and white film
1970 Erick Hawkins Dance Company, student
1971-1985 San Francisco Zen Center, resident and staff
              Including ornamental iron art work installed at Greens Restaurant, San Francisco
1985- 1995 Graduate studies at University of California, Berkeley
              M.S. and Ph.D. in Water Resources Engineering
1995- 2018 Research Scientist University of California, Davis; Departments of Civil Engineering, Geology, Environmental Design, Geography
              Currently: Emeritus Research Scientist, advisory role
Produced 16 – minute documentary film – Sacramento River
2018 Established Studio La Mer for dance and choreography, Winters, California
2018 Performances
Ensemble. Butoh. Studio 210 San Francisco, California. January 2018
Solo at Hijikata festival Harupin – Ha. Berkeley, California March 2018
Solo. Choreographers Alliance, Works in the Works . Berkeley, California November 2018
Solo Momotaro Studio 210 San Francisco, California December 2018
2019 Performances
              Solo at Harupin Ha
              Solo at museum
              Kanazawa butoh kan, Kanazawa Japan
              Solo Akita Festival
             2019 Lucky Dragon 5 Museum Dance – Full version
              Ensemble in northeast Japan
Rose Ashes Choreographers Alliance, Works in the Works . Berkeley, California

2019 Rose Ashes (Berkeley, California)

2020 Performances

2020 Ashes | Pikadon (San Francisco, California)
2020 Sangettan (Oiso, Japan
2020 Itchiness Being (Kanazawa, Japan)
2020 Cherry Prayer Blossom (Tokyo, Japan)

2020 Ashes | Pikadon (San Francisco, California)
2020 Sangettan (Oiso, Japan)
2020 Itchiness Being (Kanazawa, Japan)
020 Cherry Prayer Blossom (Tokyo, Japan)

2020 Cherry Prayer Blossom (Yanaka Park, Japan)

2020 Meguro Cherry Prayer Blossom (Meguro District, Tokyo, Japan)
2020 Ashes of Pikadon (San Francisco, California)
2020 Rose Ash (San Francisco, California)

2020 Rose Ashes Annotated (San Francisco, California)

BUTOH SPIRIT
Kayo and Yukio Mikami discuss butoh dance in “Dark Ballet.”