We had a workshop with the Nihonbuyo teacher today. Nihonbuyo is an umbrella term for a bunch of dance forms. Odori dance is derived from Kabuki and Mai dance is gentler and slower. They call Mai - Kyoto style dance and Odori they refer to as the arigato (rough stuff) Tokyo style. Nihon buyo is also modern dance that draws on both as well as on Noh theatre. We had another incredible space for this workshop. I guess it's sort of a multi-purpose room with risers around a floor as big as a gym. We didn't do much hands-on with this lovely lady - She just taught us how to bow to a teacher, but she showed us an incredible film with clips from 4 versions of the story Dojo-ji (The Temple Bell)-- Noh, Odori, Mai, and her own creation in Nihonbuyo, which was so gorgeous it made me cry. The lighting, her costume, the music, the choreography, the drama, and the stage layout itself all combined to make a very powerful piece. ..... After our bowing lesson we took the subway up to the Kongo Nohgaku Theatre where we saw a beautiful exhibition of masks, fans, and costumes. We weren't allowed to take photos, but the head of the school himself was there and answered questions. It's hard to explain what a big deal it is to meet the head of a Noh family, but believe me when I say that it's a whopping big deal. He was charming in spite of his imposing figure. I asked him if one of the old woman masks was what an actor would use for one of my favorite roles from noh, Sotoba Komachi. He went into the back room to bring out 4 other masks that HE would choose from depending on what aspect of the once beautiful, now old, impoverished, and possessed woman he wished to emphasize. The head of school can interpret a role any way he wants, but others in that school have to follow HIS interpretation. More on this later.
No comments:
Post a Comment