Paul Michael Henry

I'm an Irish-Scottish dancer, musician and writer. My work springs from Butoh dance, punk rock and ritual, and my creative output covers live performance, film, music, and writing. I trained and performed with many of the most respected Butoh masters in Europe and Japan, including: Yoshito Ohno, Yukio Waguri, Masaki Iwana, Kayo Mikami, Seisaku & Yuri, Atsushi Takenouchi, Tadashi Endo, Yumiko Yoshioka, Imre Thormann, Moe Yamamoto, and Yuko Kaseki. These days I feel bold enough to take what I've learned and reshape it in my own image, blending it with my music and writing practices. My themes are political, social & spiritual, dealing with love, neglect of the body, destruction of the environment and atrophy of the soul in consumerist society.

My work finds an easier reception internationally than at home in Scotland, though I'm always hoping to change that. Recent projects include Labyrinth of the Unseen World (premiered at Butohpolis Festival, Warsaw), SHRIMP DANCE at Frankfurt's Winterweft festival and the Edinburgh Fringe (a multimedia dance work exploring the links between anti-depressants, ecological crisis and late capitalism), a tour of the United States with Laughter at Being Crushed, performing in in France and Japan, and two new dance films, My Whole Face Sort of Fell Off and Excuse Me I Am Expanding. In 2025 I published my doctorate through Royal Conservatoire of Scotland / University of St. Andrews, researching techniques for shifting our sense of self from Individual-Consumer to Interdependent-Ecological during the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

I'm also Artistic Director and creator of UNFIX, an evolving and experimental festival platforming ecologically committed performance, dance, music, film and discussion. UNFIX is intended as a contribution to the waking up of the human species to our predicament in an age of climate change, massive inequality and crazy consumerism. It is based in Glasgow and is ongoing here and in New York City, Bologna, and Tokyo.

I teach regular Butoh dance workshops called The Dreaming Body in Glasgow and elsewhere.

“Utterly compelling, the astonishingly talented Henry has much to say¨ - Glasgow Theatre Blog

“A singular talent of grace and power" – Lorna Irvine (reviewer for the List and Exuent)

“Henry attacks the challenge of moving with uncompromising intention with rigour." **** - the Skinny

“Paul Michael Henry is a disciplined, creative and unique performer to Scotland and I have not seen his like in Europe in fact.“ – Morag Deyes (Artistic Director, Dance Base Edinburgh)