Tickets

General $25

Supporter $40

Located 111 West Hastings Street Vancouver. Look for the KW sign off Hastings Street for the entrance.

Doors at 7:00pm

Two Sets! 

Show at 8pm - 8:45pm - First Set

9:10pm - 10:00pm - Second Set

Kokoro Presents:

IMPROV BUTOH w/

Kokoro Dance and curator Cole Schmidt 

Dancers:

Barbara Bourget, Jay Hirabayashi and special guest Vanessa Goodman

 

Musicians:

Cole Schmidt and Alvaro Rojas

 

This event is dedicated to the great Tony Wilson who passed away back in June 2026. In honour of Tony, Kokoro reached out to Tony's longtime friend Cole Schmidt to continue the series in Tony's place. Formally called "Butoh Jazz" Kokoro is continuing its interdisciplinary work in August now rebranded as Improv Butoh. Cole will be showcasing some original guitar works for two guitars along with guitarist Alvaro Rojas, from their recent album Nondual. They will also be performing some music Tony wrote for two guitars.

From Jay and Barbara: "Our Kokoro improvisation series give us opportunities to express ourselves in the moment with the fantastic stimulus of improvising jazz musicians of the highest caliber. We never know what they are going to play or what our responses will be. We know that it is always a conversation—a call from them and a response from us that is also a call back to them. It is harmony and dissonance colliding and colluding in both music and dance. It is exciting and adrenalin-producing enjoyment for us, the musicians, and our audiences."

KW Studios is an accessible venue. Folks in need of an elevator can access one through the lobby entrance. Accessible bathrooms are available downstairs. KW events are both auditory and visual. Sound can be loud, but earplugs can be provided free of charge. Lighting is generally lower but can be adjusted and raised to accommodate people who need brighter venues.

 

This event takes place on the unceded and occupied homelands of the Coast Salish peoples of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are immensely grateful for being allowed to continue to live, work, and play on these lands.

KW events are NOTAFLOF (No one turn away for lack of funds) . NOTAFLOF tickets are of limited capacity. Please consider your financial need relative to folks in the DTES community where we reside before asking to pay less. We practice the policy NOTAFLOF specifically to allow access to folks negatively impacted by gentrification projects within the DTES community. If you are a student or low income worker, please consider saving up for the next show as the artists and KW staff are also low income workers.