Chances are you'll laugh or cry from fun or fright at "Curious Fish," a butoh dance performance slated to take place this weekend at culture/art club La Plantation. Butoh, the eclectic, avant-garde dance movement that emerged in Japan after World War II, features a group of whitened dancers with an inclination for the bizarre in what is traditionally a solo dance. Japanese choreographer, Katsura Kan, has teamed up with Chinese dancers for a third time, but butoh's affection for nudity has been stripped from the show.

Rooted in Zen Buddhism and traditional Japanese noh drama, butoh is characterized by the absence of codes. It was initially considered an underground activity due to its obscure gestures, taboo topics and nudity. "Women are usually topless and the men are bare-chested, but we'll use simple clothes in Beijing on stage," said Kan.

Ghoul-like creatures with daisies crowning their heads take to the stage in "Curious Fish." They sway in strange movements, alternating between harmonious dance and spasms that don't necessarily keep to the pace of a soundtrack ranging from Buddhist chants to French pop music.

"If the audience can identify what happens on stage and say something about the meaning of the dance after the performance, they win. If they can't, I win," Kan said, explaining the purpose and charm of butoh.

Men and women reverse roles, while humans take on forms as creatures and, at times, screech distinctly inhuman sounds.

Kan's body cringes on the floor and his face grimaces with muscular concentration. The 63-year-old butoh master seems to be imitating the form of a creature, possibly a fish, in a pre-human state. "Curious Fish" is a requiem inspired by the 1956 Minamata disease outbreak in Japan, a neurological syndrome caused by mercury poisoning. "At the time, we saw lots of strange fish. Cats, dogs and chickens [in "Curious Fish"] perform a death dance because they ate the fish. But is also a dance of hope." Kan explained.

He insists butoh is about "expressing the body itself, not expressing with the body." His students talk of concocting odd movements and facial expressions to express indescribable feelings that might make no sense to regular dance school teachers.

"Butoh is diverse and sensitive to one's freedom," said Xiao Juan, founder and choreographer with Chinese dance group, Penglai. Xiao participated in Kan's workshops and will share the stage with him. "Dance is like a window to the soul. It can be freely interpreted according to an individual's state of spirit," she explained.

Kan said he enjoyed interacting with Chinese dancers during question and answer sessions, performances and workshops he directed while in town.

The Kyoto native noted the similarities in dance in Japan and China, stressing that the two countries "put a lot of emphasis on the communication between the human body and the environment."

When: Oct. 28, 29, 4:30 pm, 7:30 pm

Where: La Plantation, Art Base One, D Area, Hegezuhang Cuigechuang

Transport: A shuttle bus will pick up audience members from exit C at Maquanying Station on subway line 15 an hour before each performance.

Tickets: 150 yuan–200 yuan

Contact: 6433-6920/6433-6913