Японский классический танец: история и стили

Classical Japanese performing art of dance

refers to the classical Japanese performing art of dance. developed from earlier dance traditions such as and , and was further developed during the early Edo period (1603–1867), through the medium of kabuki dances, which often incorporated elements from the older dance genres. Although the term means "Japanese dance", it is not meant to refer to Japanese dance in general, and instead refers to a few dance genres such as , which are performed in theatre. differs from other varieties of Japanese traditional dance, in that it is a refined style intended as entertainment on a public stage. Prior to this, dance was generally referred according to its particular dance genre, such as and The term is a combination of the characters 舞; mai, which can also be pronounced , and 踊; odori, which can also be pronounced Shōyō intended to be a term for (振事劇), a form of dance drama in kabuki plays, but the term has now grown to cover several Japanese dance styles, including the modern dance form .

In the narrow sense, (日本舞踊) refers solely to (歌舞伎舞踊). The term dates to the Meiji period. Until then, was referred to by various names such as (所作事), (景事), (振事) or more simply (踊). The choreographers of , whose first appearance dates back to around 1673, founded schools to teach this dance to amateurs. , listed as an important intangible cultural property since 1955, is performed by both a kabuki actor and a dancer.

Unlike Noh, , kabuki and theater, which feature male performers, is also performed by women. There are two different dance styles taught in : , "female roles", and , "male roles". is a static and abstract movement with an emphasis on the ritual aspect, which is often present in the adaptation sequences of the nô theater; is a dynamic and rhythmic movement resulting from , a dance invented by a Buddhist monk around the 10th century;

schools were founded by choreographers (who were originally kabuki musicians or actors), or by actors. These two backgrounds mean that both still share the same dance repertoire.

There are many plays which are inspired by Noh theater plays. The three major series of , and are adapted from the Noh plays , and , as well as the repertoire series, adapted from Noh during the Meiji period, with inspiration taken from the approach of kabuki adapting Noh dramas. For these plays, Noh dance is integrated into the choreography.

Even before the Meiji period, there were already origin kabuki dance plays, but, like Noh, was much adapted after the Meiji period, and this repertoire was appropriated by kabuki actors of this period.

The plays , and , are acts in the kabuki plays adapted from , and
In addition, during climaxes of plays adapted from (, ), (a style of acting imitating the movements of puppets) is used: the character is supported by puppeteers standing behind him and moves as if he was a puppet.

In the Noh play , the most sacred play mixing dance and prayer ritual for a bountiful harvest and prosperity, three characters, Okina, Senzai and Sanbasō, appear. The latter's dynamic dance gave rise to a series of repertoires in kabuki: the play is the most ritualistic, and the rest of the repertoire develops the more entertaining aspects for kabuki: , , , , , , etc.

The Noh play, inspired by the myth of the Dōjōji temple, was adapted in the kabuki dance as , which then gave birth to the main series of the repertoire: , , , , , , etc.

The Noh play , in which the Buddhist monk sees mythical lions playing with peonies at Mount Seiryo in China, was adapted as an (female role) dance in the early kabuki period, resulting in the plays , and It was around the Meiji period that the adaptation came closer to Noh: the majestic lion dance is performed by a (male actor) in the plays and .

In , the same actor transforms into different characters with a rapid change of costume, and plays between three and twelve (usually seven) characters, one after another – male and female of all ages, from different periods and of all social strata, animals, apparition, and gods. was very popular at the start of the 19th century, particularly with the two great actors Bandō Mitsugorō III and Nakamura Utaemon III, who competed to develop this genre. Today, the genre of is broken down into several plays, one for each character, which are performed independently, like the famous play , which was originally the first part of a series of five quick changes: the girl changes into a blind person , a celestial deity , a servant of the samurai and a boatman. Nowadays, many quick change plays no longer exist in their entirety, with one exception: (six great poets), a play of one performer transforming into 5 poets, for which all 5 quick changes are still extant and known of. The most famous plays are , , , , , , and Annual events: , etc. Street artist: , etc.

Noh: In the Edo period, when belonging to the warrior class was distinguished from the kabuki which was an entertainment of the popular classes, the adaptation of Noh in the kabuki dance tended to move away from the original piece by completely changing the context, the characters, and the staging. However, in the Meiji era, when the kabuki tried to renew the popular image by introducing the Noh of a high dress, the adaptation of this medieval theater was made by approaching this noble taste, while keeping the content and style of the original piece: , etc.