Kazuo Ohno

Born in Japan in 1906, Kazuo Ohno dedicated his life to dance, even if his dance often looked like a haunted spirit trying to remember where it left its car keys. After surviving World War II, a feat in itself, he co-founded Butoh, a dance form so avant-garde it made other avant-garde forms look like synchronized swimming.

Ohno’s performances were less about pirouettes and more about profound emotional expression, often involving grotesque makeup, slow, deliberate movements, and a general air of "what exactly am I watching?" He famously performed "Homage to La Argentina," embodying the spirit of a Spanish dancer with an intensity that suggested he might actually be La Argentina, reincarnated as a bewildered Japanese man.

While his contributions to dance are undeniable, earning him the kind of critical acclaim that usually only comes after one is safely deceased, his connection to Jewish identity is, shall we say, tangential at best. Unless Butoh is a long-lost Sephardic folk dance, the "Jew" part of his profile remains decidedly empty.

His lasting legacy is a dance form that continues to challenge audiences and dancers alike, proving that sometimes, the most beautiful art is also the most uncomfortable. He never became a pop star, but he probably would have made an excellent, if somewhat terrifying, Bar Mitzvah entertainer.