Nicole LeGette is recognized as the Midwest’s foremost butoh artist—as advocate and resource, performer, teacher, curator, and producer. Her performance—in ensemble (as blushing poppy Dance Club), collaboration, and solo—has been presented across the US, Mexico, Japan, and Indonesia. An essential part of LeGette’s public engagement incorporates butoh’s multi-sensory, image-based, embodied movement
practice, often with the elderly and people with impairment. International, cross-cultural opportunities for exchange and collaboration also take priority. Established in 2003, blushing poppy productions hosts regional, national, and international butoh artists through innovative events and partnerships. Due in large part to LeGette’s sustained efforts over the years, there is a thriving butoh community in Chicago, which continues to expand. Nicole LeGette has received numerous grants from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events (2002-present) and was named Best Outre Dance (2013) by the Chicago Reader dance critic, Laura Molzahn. LeGette was selected as Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist (2007-2008) and Chicago Dancemakers Forum Mentor Artist (2011). Additional recognition includes 3Arts Fellows- Robert Rauschenberg Residency (2014), Ragdale Residency (2015, 2011), DanceBridge Residency (2012) at the Chicago Cultural Center, and 2006 Artistic Associate at Links Hall, Chicago. Although primarily a solo performer, Nicole also develops numerous ensemble works under the name blushing poppy Dance Club and in collaboration. Free-jazz master musician, David Boykin, and LeGette have collaborated on numerous projects since 2005. Renee Baker's Chicago Modern Orchestra Project have made several collaborations with LeGette since 2009. Mana Hashimoto (Japan/New York-based visually-impaired dancer/choreographer) and LeGette have developed performances and workshops together since 2010. Chicago vocalist extraordinaire, Louise Cloutier and LeGette have performed together since 2010. Dai Matsuoka (Japan) of seminal butoh troupe, Sankai Juku, and LeGette made a collaboration performed in Tokyo in 2010. Nicole LeGette recently collaborated with the Tukad Abu Arts Collective on several projects in Bali, Indonesia (2014, 2015). blushing poppy productions, based in Chicago, has been the forerunner in presenting butoh-related arts events (workshops, performances, lectures, video screenings, etc.) Highlights include; 2009-2010’s Butoh 50 Years: A New Vision yearlong investigation which featured artists Koichi & Hiroko Tamano (Japan/CA), Joan Laage (Seattle), and Diego Piñón (Mexico). Butoh Sorbet (2006-present) is a recurring no-fuss event that showcases emerging local- national- international butoh artists (including SU-EN of Sweden, Katsura Kan (Japan), Ginger Krebs (Chicago)). The Body Breaks: Butoh, Breakdancing, & Beyond (2006) was a seminal, innovative month-long curated series through Links Hall that suggested affinities between butoh, breakdancing, and ‘beyond’ in performance, workshop, lecture and panel discussion. Featured artists included Yumiko Yoshioka (Germany/Japan), Marianne Kim (AZ), among others. Other curatorial efforts feature emerging American butoh artists including, Groping Towards Dance: Butoh and the Origins of Movement (2005) and Rubbed Raw: Recent Investigations in Butoh (2004). Natsu Nakajima, Yukio Waguri, Daisuke Yoshimoto are among other pre-eminent international butoh artists blushing poppy productions has presented in Chicago. Nicole LeGette has been teaching butoh since 2004 which has helped to nourish an emerging legacy of butoh-influenced performers in Chicago and across the Midwest. Through her devotion to teaching paired with years of immersive butoh study, art and practice, LeGette is better able to understand, articulate, and convey particular aspects and more subtle nuances of the art of butoh. Since 2007, LeGette has investigated multi-sensory, image-based, embodied movement practice for the elderly and people with mobility, cognitive, and sensory impairment using adaptive butoh training, performance, collaboration, and research. For Nicole, it is essential to encourage and support everyone to access, cultivate, and to share their unique body-being-ness.
