or , also known as dance or dance-drama, is a type of

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

play based on

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

. It is one of the three genres of kabuki, together with (historical plays) and (contemporary plays). A central element of kabuki since its origin in 1603, plays became an important part of the kabuki repertoire towards the end of the

17th century The 17th century lasted from January 1, 1601 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCI), to December 31, 1700 (MDCC). It falls into the early modern period of Europe and in that continent (whose impact on the world was increasing) was characterized ...

, and still forms a key part of the kabuki repertoire today. For example, the January 2018 program at the

Kabuki-za in Ginza is the principal theater in Tokyo for the traditional ''kabuki'' drama form. History The Kabuki-za was originally opened by a Meiji era journalist, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō. Fukuchi wrote kabuki dramas in which Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and o ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

included three performances. There are several types of kabuki dances. An important difference is between the mainly non-narrative dances with accompaniment (such as ), and the more dramatic ones, with complex storylines and characters (such as ). The musicians are often seated in rows on stepped platforms behind the dancers. There are many other distinctions and styles. For example, dances include particularly theatricalized sets and costumes, often including quick on-stage changes of clothes (called ). dances involve a single actor playing different roles.

History

From the very origin of

in 1603, when

Izumo no Okuni was a Japan, Japanese entertainer and miko, shrine maiden who is believed to have invented the theatrical art form of kabuki. She is thought to have begun performing her new art style of () theatre in the dry stream bed, riverbed of the Kamo ...

began performing in the dry riverbeds of

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

- a style referred to as - dance has been a central element of kabuki, and in fact those first performances involved more dance and music than drama. An important early development of dance in kabuki was the incorporation of elements from , dance scenes. However, proper dances, performed by (lit. "female role") actors, entered the kabuki repertoire in the Genroku period (1688-1704) (see also ). The form was further developed from the Kyoho to the Horeki period (1716–1764), and became the main form of accompaniment. The first actor to perfect the genre was Segawa Kikunojo I (), considered an excellent dancer and the best in Edo during the first half of the 18th century. He became very successful shortly after arriving to the city in 1730 by performing the leading role on the dance at the Nakamura-za. He specialized in the performance of (such as ) and dances. Some other important dance roles he performed in those early years were (1736), (1739), and (1742), and (1746). Another important actor in the early development of was Nakamura Tomijuro I (1719–1786), also said to have perfected kabuki dance. A native of

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, he achieved great success early in his career with performances of a dance, particularly in Edo at the Nakamura-za in 1741 and then again in 1748. His greatest accomplishment was his performance of the main role in the debut of one of the most famous kabuki dances, , in 1753, again at the Nakamura-za. The performance was so successful that it was staged for several months, and Tomijuro became one of the most famous actors in Edo.

References

{{Authority control Kabuki Japanese words and phrases