Skip to main content

Ali- Nihon Buyo Performance

Nihon Buyo (Ali)


This last Sunday I had the opportunity to see a Nihon Buyo performance near my host families house. A hippo member had given me a ticket after hearing that I wanted to study the dance. I had a really wonderful time and am very thankful for the opportunity. 

It is difficult to describe Nihon Buyo when there is no western style dance that I can easily compare it with. Movements are minimal, precise, and few, graceful yet brisk. Sometimes these motions are emphasized by props, such as fans, umbrellas, flowers, and sashes. If I had to compare it, it would be to a mime, body builder, and sales person.  As a mime tells a story through movements, a body builder shows of his strength and skill through poses, and a sales person positions their body to highlight and display a product, in Nihon Buyo each movement is deliberate to show off skill, emphasize a prop, and to tell the story. Each dance tells a different story and every movement in the dance is an expression. I believe the music that accompanies it enhances the narrative. However, I can't be quite sure because I couldn't make out the lyrics of the song.  At today's performance I saw the stories of a young woman outside enjoying the spring, two lovers in the snow, a vendor selling his wares, a man carrying a relic, a hostess, and a prince and princess (played by the same dancer). The costumes were gorgeous! They were so colorful and had beautiful designs. I want to try wearing a beautiful kimono too!  

At first when watching this performance, I thought that the dance and movements seemed simple and could easily be recreated by an untrained individual. However, as the skill of the dancers progressed, I saw the strength and talent of each dancer and began to see how each seeming simple movement took great skill to accomplish. Not only were they able to dance beautifully, but all while wearing elaborate kimonos and wigs that probably inhibited their movements. I don't think I would be able to do even the simplest of movements. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Maddie- The First of Many New Experiences

The First of Many New Experiences So, what have my first weeks been like in Japan? ABSOLUTELY BUSY! But, also...AMAZING! Truly, it has been a busy couple of weeks here, but not overwhelmingly so. Furthermore, I`d prefer to be kept busy! Too much free time = too much thinking = homesickness. By keeping a full, fun schedule, with some relaxing and downtime, I can keep engaged with my surroundings, make new friends, and stay sane. To prevent a wall of text, let me break down for you some of my recent activities. So far, I have: Presented about my life in Wisconsin to classes of middle school and elementary school students. Eaten kaiten-zushi, or conveyor belt sushi.  Been interviewed about my biggest surprise when I came to Japan (it`s bluntness in regards to appearance, people won`t hesitate to call someone fat, or tell you that you`ve gotten skinny since they last saw you. As I`ve seen it, it`s never been malicious, just matter-of-fact).  Post filming. To my ...

Daniel- I have Guests!

I Have Guests! [訪れていた] (Daniel) After a trip to the Middle East, my sister and her husband decided to return to the US flying over Asia instead of Europe, so that they could stop by in Japan and say "Hi". Y-A-A-A-A-Y. It felt really good to see some family after seven months away. Unfortunately, the two of them could only stay for 3 days, so we were quite busy during that time. The three of us visited obvious famous places like Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, and Akihabara. But I personally enjoyed going to a park where we did the tea ceremony in a tea house on the park's pond. The two of them found it strange that there were no chairs and the process to drink some tea was so formal. I guess I didn't really think about it, I have become so used to traditional tea ceremonies that they don't seem strange to me anymore. I guess I'm becoming a local  I also really enjoyed introducing my sister and brother-in-law to my co-work...

Daniel- Okutama

Okutama (Daniel) This past week, my eyes were opened to the fact that Japan is much more than a concrete jungle of lights and high-rise buildings. For the first time, I was able to head west to Okutama, a mountainous region on the west side of Tokyo Prefecture. Unlike the city, Okutma is covered with forest and greenery. The abundance of nature makes it a beautiful place to visit in the fall. Not too far from Okutama is Heirinji Zen Temple in Saitama, where I was blown away by the beauty of autumn in Japan. The purpose for my being in that area was to visit a kindergarten and to give a HIPPO presentation along with other HIPPO members. Among them was a younger gentleman nicknamed Tango, whom I hadn't met before. Tango and I got along very well, and he invited me on a hike, along with his friend, the next day. Tango's family owns a very quaint Soba restaurant in Okutama. The surrounding mountains and nature really give it a traditional Japanese feel. The three of u...