Kenshibu (剣詩舞, meaning 'sword and poetry dancing') is a category of Japanese

interpretive dance Interpretive dance is a family of modern dance styles that began around 1900 with Isadora Duncan. It used classical concert music but marked a departure from traditional concert dance. It seeks to translate human emotions, conditions, situations o ...

s performed to traditional

music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact definition of music, definitions of mu ...

accompanied by poetry known as '' shigin'' (詩吟). Kenbu refers to dances performed with the aid of a

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed t ...

, and shibu to dances performed with one or more fans. While fans may also be employed in some kenbu dances, not all require them.

History

Although Japanese kenbu existed since the

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

and

Heian The Japanese word Heian (平安, lit. "peace") may refer to: * Heian period, an era of Japanese history * Heian-kyō Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one ...

periods (794-1185) of Japanese history, and exist in Shura

Nogaku is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

, the modern kenshibu is an invention of the post- Meiji era (1868). Kenshibu draws its origins from the Gekken Kaisha (撃剣会社, lit. 'fencing company') created by Sakakibara Kenkichi (榊原健吉) in 1872. The Gekken Kaisha toured Japan, engaging in 'fencing performances' (撃剣興行, ''gekken kougyou'') which quickly became popular.Deborah Klens-Bigman
''The Fan and the Sword: Exploring Kenbu''
/ref> Many modern schools of kenbu derive from other traditions, but Sakakibara's Gekken Kaisha was the first to explore the form. Following the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, swords were outlawed in Japan for a period of about seven years. During this time, kenbu schools adopted the use of fans instead of swords in their dances. After swords became legal once again, this new type of dancing was retained. Over time shibu has evolved into a style distinct from kenbu, with its dances set to poetry of a less martial character.

Kenbu

Kenbu (剣舞, occ. 剣武) is performed in ''

hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. Originally stemming from (), the trousers worn by members of the Chinese imperial court in the Sui and Tang dynasties, this style was adopted by the Japanese in the form of in the 6th cent ...

'' and ''kimono'', wearing ''

tabi are traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear such as zori, dating back to the 15th century. History Japanese are usually understood today to be a kind of split-toed sock that is not meant to be worn alone outdoors, much like reg ...

'', a type of divided-toe socks. Various other items may be used in the costume, including '' hachimaki'' (a headband used to keep the dancer's hair pulled back) and ''tasuki'' (a white cloth strip which ties the kimono sleeves out of the way). When these other items are used, a white cloth belt is traditionally worn over the hakama ties. This white belt was originally worn by ''

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of History of Japan#Medieval Japan (1185–1573/1600), medieval and Edo period, early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retai ...

'' preparing to go into battle and served to reinforce the hakama ties so that, in the event they were cut, the samurai would not find himself with his pants suddenly heaped around his ankles.

Shibu

Shibu (詩舞) is also called ''senbu'' (扇舞), or fan dancing. It is also performed in hakama and kimono, though in some cases hakama may be rejected in favor of longer

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimon ...

. Some performances also involve steeply-pointed straw hats which conceal the performers' faces.

References

Dances of Japan {{Japan-culture-stub ja:剣舞