Celeste Hastings
Celeste Hastings is a New York City based choreographer, dancer, improvisational performer, costume and soundscape designer, also experimenting with the video medium. Her work both theatrical and site specific, fuses elements of butoh dance, dance and theater with an emphasis on creating evolving surreal visual and sound environments, with an eye for the microcosmic/macrocosmic. She was a lead dancer for over 10 years with the post modern butoh group Poppo and Gogo Boys under the direction of Poppo Shiraishi in the mid 80's through 90's (Poppo had a background with Akira Kasai) and worked as well as a modern dancer and in physical theater. The experience of helping create group choreography for Poppo as well her improvisational experience, left Celeste with an interest in the power of group unity in movement and feeling which she tends to come back to in working with others. She has also been emphasizing creating solo work since 2003. Often performed with the body painted totally white, her dance has a sculptural time altering quality exploring the felt life-force energy of the ever present now within each of us and its connection to all time, all peoples, all matter and beings, all universes.
Celeste sees the individual as an archetype of all humanity and life, fusing the elemental beauty of line and form in nature, humor, spirituality and love for the greater World/Universe into the work she does herself and with others. Is American, born and grew up in Venezuela.
She has collaborated with many artists and companies such as Akira Kasai, Richard Move, Noemie Lafrance, Anemone Dance Theater, Black Moon Theater, Moeno Wakamatsu, Nadine Helstroffer, Patti Bradshaw, Chris Maresca, Pepatien, NovEnsemble, Mariko Sanjo, Acion Colectiva, director Antonio Lai, Juozas Ivanauskas, Tetsuro Fukuhara and Eri Majima in Tokyo, musician Jim Staley, visual artist Venantius Pinto and more. She has worked with filmaker Simon Grome both as co-editor and actress for feature film. Trainings range from ballet and modern to flamenco, butoh, tai chi and yoga. More recent butoh trainings with: Akira Kasai,Ko Murobushi, Atsushi Takenouchi, Yuko Kaseki, Katsura Kan, Tetsuro Fukuhara, Yumiko Yoshioka, Daisuke Yoshimoto, Diego Piñon & Minako Seki in Berlin & with Yoko Ashikawa years ago. Her work as a Massage Therapist since 1993 with emphasis on Amma Therapy accupressure, bioenergetics and western medical methods has also informed her dance and quest to find what enervates and gives meaning to life.
Celeste is also director/choreographer since 2000 of a satirical yet existential butoh group called The Butoh Rockettes with an underground following in the New York City club and dowtown theater scenes. Birthed in 1996 (together with Co-Creators/Co-Members Patti Bradshaw and Chris Maresca (1996-1999)) at the dowtown club MOTHER run by ChiChi Valente and Johnny Dynell, they were invited by Producer Richard Move to join in the annual acclaimed Jackie Christmas shows. Celeste continues to develop The Butoh Rockettes - last seen at St. Marks Church in Dec. 2007. See Links for B.R. site.
