Nihon buoy

The concept of “buoy” unites two dance genres: dances ( Japanese 踊 り odori ) , which grew out of Kabuki 's stage performances, and dances ( Japanese 舞 May ) , which emerged from But's performances, and performed indoors.

An approximate division of nihon-bui into genres includes kabuki odori ( Japanese 歌舞 伎 踊 り , Kabuki dances) , gosyugimono ( Japanese ご 祝 儀 も の holiday things ) - religious dance, kamigata May ( Japanese 上方 舞 , Kamigata dance, cream of society) and Sosaku Buyo ( 創作 舞 踊 So : Saku Buyo , original dance) .

Performing a dance consists of adopting many previously known postures ( п я kata ) . However, most dances do not imply sudden movements and can be performed on one and a half square meters of floor. Torso almost the entire time of the dance is strictly vertical, kata differ in the position of the head, shoulders, arms.

The floor or the stage on which the nihon-buoy is performed should allow gliding ( Japanese 摺 り 足 suriashi ) , so for a dance you need either a tatami- lined room or a prepared stage.

Nihon-bui uses the “jo-ha-kyu” technique ( 序 破 急 jo ha-kyu: introduction, destruction, surprise) . This is a traditional Japanese model for constructing a sequence of actions used in martial arts, the Japanese theater (Kabuki, No, Joruri), and the Japanese tea ceremony. "Jo-ha-kyu" as applied to dancing means a slow introduction, designed to create an atmosphere, development of action, culmination and rapid completion. Parts should not be equal in duration: usually “kyu” is the shortest, and “ha” is the longest.

The art of dance existed in Japan during the preliterate period ^[1] . In Kojiki and Nihongi, a myth is described about how the dancing goddess Amaterasu , who was hiding in a cave, was forced to look out of the shelter by the dancing goddess Ama no Uzume-no Mikoto.

The development of dance, like other traditional arts, received an impetus with the spread of Buddhism ^[2] . During the Sengoku period (16th century), Miko priestesses began performing at Kamogawa , between Shijou and Gionsya Streets. Then a new genre of religious dance appeared - nembutsu-odori ( 念 仏 踊 り , "dance that repeats the name of the Buddha Amida ") . Many dances, such as Gosyugimono, were born from religious ceremonies and spiritual practices.

Dance, along with calligraphy, ikebana and other arts was considered beneficial for the development of women ^[1] .

Throughout history, during periods of peace, Japanese dance flourished. The time of the highest popularity of nihon buoy is the middle of the XIX century ^[3] . The most popular schools of the time were Nakamura and Iwada.

In the 21st century, traditional dance remains popular; On many Matsuri towns and villages, scenes are organized where performers dance nihon buoy. Geishas learn dances from the repertoire of their school during the apprenticeship and perform them at banquets.

In nihon-bui, as in other Japanese arts, the iemoto system is adopted. The head of the school (the grandmaster, also called the term "iemoto") chooses the teaching methods that teachers and the repertoire will use; iemoto distributes teaching licenses and professional names ( Japanese 名 取 natori ) . Iemoto chooses dance accessories, interprets choreography fragments.

Nihon-buoy, like other arts, is not accepted to be engaged only until reaching a certain level. In contrast to the Western approach, when a student can establish his own school, Japanese performers bring perfection to life.

The most famous nihon-bui schools are Inoue , Fujima-ryu ( Japanese 藤 間 流 Fujima Ryu:) , Wakayagi ( Japanese 若 柳 流 Wakayagi Ryu:) , Hanayagi ( Japanese 花柳 п Hanayagi Ryu:) , Nishikawa ( Japanese 若 柳 流 Wakayagi Ryu:) , Bando ( ya . 坂 東流 bando: ryu :) , Nishikawa ( Japanese. 西川 流 nishikawa ryu:) .

A folding fan is the main dance accessory. It can mean a mirror or (half-closed) a bottle of sake ; a sword, a hairbrush, a butterfly, and so on.

Before each lesson, the student sits in front of the teacher in the seiza pose, puts a folded fan between himself and him and bows to the floor. This ritual is performed as a sign that the student has left his worries and thoughts and is ready to fully surrender to learning. The dance fan ( 舞 扇 May o: gi ) is an important symbol of nihon-bui. For the New Year, Iemoto is presented with a school emblem for the students, while Natori receive more ornate May ogi .

Gion Couta

The words to music appeared in 1930, their author is Mikihiko Nagata - A famous writer who created lyrics for numerous songs about Gion . He wrote the words for the songs of the film "Geisha . "

Kuroki

There are two versions of Kurokami dance ( Jap. 黒 髪 , black hair) : in the style of jiuta and in the style of nagauta . Probably, initially the music and words were written in the jiut style by the composer Ichijuro Koide ( 湖 出 市 十郎 koyde ichiju: ro :) . However, his earliest record is in the Nauthout genre. In 1784, “Kurokami” was included in the performance of O-akinai hiru ha kojima ( Jap. 大 商 蛭 小島 , a grandiose fun on Kojima) .

In the performance “Kurokami”, Tatsu-hime ( Jap. 辰 姫 , “Princess Tatsu”) , the daughter of general Ito no Suketiki ( Jap. 伊 東 祐 親 ito: but suketika ) , performs when Minamoto-no Yoritomo breaks her heart, preferring Masako Hojo to her ( 北 条 政 子 ho: jo: masako ) .

The dance is performed by a soloist with a Sansu folding fan . In the Japanese poetic tradition, tar-black hair is considered a symbol of female beauty, and the dismissal of a traditional hairstyle , where the hair was held high and tied, is a clear hint that the heroine ceased to control herself.

The lyrics of “Kurokami” contain numerous allusions: “waking up after a bell hit” is a satori , “attacked white snow” in the last line contrasts with the first line, which speaks of beautiful black hair: the lyrical heroine is waiting for her lover, and her wonderful hair is covered with “snow »Gray hair ^[1] .

Bon odori

A number of popular films of Japanese cinema, in particular films of the Jidigake genre of the 1950s and 1960s, contain examples of the performance of dances, which are varieties of nihon-bui. Among filmmakers, in particular, are known Khibari Misora and Tiyonosuke Azuma ; the latter is the well-known choreographer of this genre, and from 1967 to 2000 - the emoto of the Nihon-bui Wakana-ryu school ^[5] .

Examples:

Hibari misora

• "Benten Kodzo" (1960) - Temple "Dance of the Red Lion" (as the novice of Kikunosuke, the future Benten Kozo)
• "Princess Sen and Hideyori" (1962) - dance with a naginata (in the role of Princess Sen , granddaughters of Tokugawa Ieyasu )
• "The Journey of Hibari and Chiemi 2: The Precious Umbrella of the Lovers" (1963) - participation in Bon Odori (in the role of Okimi, princess of the Tsuruoka clan)
• Dancing starring geishas in various films.

Chiyonosuke Azuma

• “Detective in a skirt 3: Flying coins” (1959) - dance with a naginata (in the role of a samurai Hyoma Sasaki)
• Fantastic ( tokusatsu ) television series Mobile Sheriff Jiban (1989-1990) - In the 30th episode, Azuma plays the role of an emoto of the nihon-bui school (actually himself), including dancing.

• Tomie Hahn, Sensational knowledge: embodying culture through Japanese dance // Wesleyan University Press , 2007
• Neojaponisme magazine author blog