This is neither a Noh nor butoh workshop. I am neither a Noh nor a butoh dancer. Yet, I am an experimental contemporary dancer who has learned a lot from the principles and essences established by these historical master artists on dance practice (studied Noh between 1998-2002 and butoh with Ohno between 1997-1999), creation and performance. I want to reflect on Kazuo Ohno’s “Workshop Words” as well as “Kakyo: A Mirror of the Flower” by Zeami Motokiyo –and, by practicing together, use them a source to find, reflect on, and/or deepen our own “freestyle” dance (as Ohno used to say). By comparing translations of these writings with the original Japanese texts (which I will explain in detail and provide a cultural context), we’ll work through these artists’ practices, and learn to reflect their universal advice for dancers–physically and mentally, internally and externally–all to develop your own experimental, contemporary dance, work, and movement.