Willow J Conway

Trained in many different dance and movement methods, Willow has worked as a theatre practitioner in cross-disciplined art forms including acting, burlesque, bouffon, Butoh, and performance art. Willow was first introduced to Butoh by her movement teacher in 1999 when she was studying acting and felt an awakening in her spirit with this new and strange form resonating with it instantly. Curious to find out more she moved to Melbourne where Butoh was being offered as classes on a weekly basis. Soon after Willow was performing a unique blend of Butoh and Burlesque in shows around Australia, finding much freedom within this expressive art form.  In 2012 Willow was asked to join Butoh choreographer extraordinaire, Yumi Umiumare, in a new work Butoh cabaret work of DasSHOKU SHAKE! Spanning over four years, the production went on to win Green Room Awards, Fringe Awards and was toured to Japan, Darwin Arts Festival and Mildura Arts Festival and more. In 2015 Willow was accepted into the eX…IT International Butoh Exchange program in Germany where she trained under some of the world’s greatest master’s in Butoh.

Willow is also a member of Weave Movement Theatre where she has collaborated in the Butoh inspired productions of White Day Dream and Wannabe A Rabbit?  choreographed by Yumi Umiumare. 

Willow has also worked with many different theatre companies, directors and choreographers as well as being a solo Burlesque artist of self-devised acts performed nationally and internationally. Her work extends to film, TV, theatre, physical theatre, performance art and in 2014 and 2015 created/directed the immersive production of The Living Museum of Erotic Women.

Having taught 1000’s of students, Willow has been offering classes and workshops in acting, burlesque, solo performance development, sexuality on stage and stage craft since 2007 both nationally and internationally as well as facilitating workshops for Weave Movement Theatre. She was crowned Miss Burlesque Australia in 2016/17.