about
Artists Collaborating on Nuage Fou Projects
LUCIE BETZ
French artist, Butoh dancer, choreographer, director, clown and hospital clown.
Founder of the Nuage Fou ensemble and Theater Nuage Fou in Freiburg (2012–2022), an independent space dedicated to Butoh.
Lucie trained for eight years with Rote Nase e.V. and currently with Red Nose International, integrating the poetic depth of clowning into her work.
Originally trained in visual arts at the Beaux-Arts de Paris, she transitioned to performance and Butoh, developing a practice rooted in poetic gesture, presence, improvisation and freedom.
Her work explores what it means to be alive on stage, blending movement, sound and interdisciplinary forms.
With over 25 years of artistic activity and 15 years leading international projects, she has collaborated with dancers, musicians and artists including Makiko Tominaga and Joan Laage (Kogut Butoh). She has performed in Germany and international festivals such as FiButohChile (2015), Sahara International Theater Festival, Algeria (2022) and En chair et en son, Paris (2025).
An active member of Tanznetz Freiburg, Lucie teaches workshops and professional trainings, mentors artists, and fosters innovative Butoh projects.
Artists involved in Nuage Fou projects
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MIKU ARIZONO
Pianist and composer born in Tokyo, Japan; awarded with several prizes, such as first prize in 2020 for the performance of a composition written after 1900, “Livorno Piano Competition” in Italy and first prize in 2024 at the “Duttweiler-Hug Competition” in Zurich.
​Until March 2017, she completed her bachelor's degree with Professor Shinji Urakabe (piano) and went to studied composition
with composer Masa Matsuura at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Japan.
From 2019 to 2021 Miku Arizono completed her master's degree at the Freiburg University of Music and graduated with the highest notes. This was followed by a concert exam course with Prof. Gilead MISHORY (Freiburg University of Music), which she completed in spring 2023 with top marks. ​
Her first CD “Miku Arizono Recital” has been recorded in 2020.
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RYO YAMANISHI
Pianist born in Tokyo; he completed his Bachelor's degree at the
Toho-Gakuen University of Music in March 2017 with Takako Takahashi, Koji Shimoda and Professor Minoru Nojima. He Later completed his master's degree and also concert exam with
Professor Gilead Mishory at the Freiburg University of Music. ​
Since October 2021, he is being employed as an academic assistant for accompaniment at the Freiburg University of Music.​
Ryo Yamanishi has won prizes in several international competitions and has performed as a soloist with the Südwestdeutsche Kammerorchester Pforzheim, the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz and the Kurpfälzische Kammerorchester Manheim.
He held a scholarship at the Freiburg foundations Helene Rosenberg Stiftung and Dr.-Leo-Ricker-Stiftung, the Swiss foundation “Fondation Clavarte” and the association “Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Freiburg e. V.”
GENEVIÈVE MÉGIER
French-Austrian cellist. A particular emphasis is placed on free improvisation in her work.
HARTMUT BETZ
German violin maker, arborist, tree climber and for over ten years, he had been in charge of the Nuage Fou lighting
design.​​​​​​​
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JOAN LAAGE
American Butoh dancer. Kogut Butoh. She received the transmission of the great founding dancers such as Kazuo Ohno and Yoko Ashikawa.
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MAKIKO TOMINAGA
Japanese Butoh dancer, member of the Butoh Company Dairakudakan under the direction of Akaji Maro in Japan (1978-1991).​
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THOMAS G. SCHOCH
German improvising musician. He creates sound worlds close to the Butoh dancers.
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XIMENA HOYOS
Bolivian photographer artist based in Berlin.
She has photographed most of the projects and continues to join Lucie Betz in her
performances. ​​​​