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Re: why I'm the biggest dumbass - zs471 - Dec 13th, 2015
Silas just said I had to make a topic titled "why I'm the biggest dumbass" then write an essay inside of it C+ or higher worthy. Never said anything about the topic of the actual essay. Here is an essay I wrote for Humanities102 earlier this year. I received an A on this by the way.
Japanese Traditional Dance
The two main types of traditional dance in Japan are, Odori and Mai. Odori originated during the Edo period of Japan. The Edo period was a time from 1603 to 1863 in which the city of Tokyo grew to be one of the largest in the world. Odori was derived from Kabuki drama and is directed toward males rather than females. Kabuki drama is similar to a modern musical except with over-the-top make-up. Mai developed in the western part of Japan in the 1600s. This was influenced heavily by Noh drama. Noh drama is more like professional theatre in early Japan. Only highly skilled actors could participate in Noh drama. One branch of Mai is the Kyomai dance. This developed closer to the Tokugawa period in the 17th century. It was heavily influenced by properness and intelligence from manners associated with the Imperial Court. There are also four lesser-known types of traditional Japanese dance, these are; Kabuki, Noh Mai, Bon Odori and Nihon Buyo.
Kabuki was started by a man named Izumo no Okuni, who performed a new style of dance drama in Kyoto. In the mid 1600s Kabuki eventually became a well accepted form of entertainment in the red-light district in Edo or Tokyo. It hit the peak of its popularity during the Genroku era, in which the structure of a play was formalized. It is said that to become a Kabuki dance one must be very skilled, hence kanji referring to skill. This dance form also brought about the Japanese expression kabukimono which meant someone who was dressed abnormal and flashy on the street.
Noh Mai can be traced as far back as the thirteenth century. This is usually done to flute or drum music. In some cases the dance will be done to vocal or percussion music which is called a kuse or kiri. Noh Mai is basically a series of elegant body movements done with beauty. There are many types of Noh Mai dance. A medium paced Chu No Mai performed by a female. A slow dance Jo No Mai, done by a noble woman or ghost. Otoko Mai, one of the only Noh Mai dances done by males. The only other male dance is Kami Mai where the actor acts like a deity. By far the largest part of Noh Mai is the spectacular costumes worn by the actors. Masks are worn by all main characters. All masks have neutral faces, therefore leaving it up to the actor to express emotion.
Bon Odori is a special dance done during Obon, which is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the dead. This dance is performed shortly after the death of a person. It is used to welcome spirits to the dead or afterlife. Many families will perform this dance after a loved one passes away. Alternatively many professionals can be cast to dance instead for wealthier families who wish to give their loved one a special warm welcome to the afterlife. Professional Bon Odori dancers will perform at the Obon ceremony or graves of important figures in Japanese or Buddhist culture. The specific movements in a Bon Odori dance usually depict history or work or geography of the region they are in. For example, in a mining region, some movements might look similar to digging. Bon Odori dancers often use props while performing, such as, utensils, fans, towels and hand clappers. A special type of Odori even uses straw hats with flowers.
Nihon Buyo is very different from the other types of traditional dance. Whereas the other dances may be performed in many places, Nihon Buyo is performed specifically on a stage. This is a very well refined dance that has been improved over a total of four centuries. There are four main parts of Nihon Buyo, however the only one of any real relevance is Kabuki Buyo. Nihon Buyo actually came directly from Kabuki Buyo. Shortly after it transformed into a theatre dance rather than a casual one. The other three parts of Nihon Buyo are, Noh, Folk dances and European culture. These four art forms come together to form one of the most refined and well executed dances in all of Japan. One quite famous Nihon Buyo dance is the Sparrow Dance. The dance looks similar to the fluttering a tree sparrow does in the wind. It was first performed as in improvisation by the stonemasons who were building Sendai Castle. Now, the symbol of the Date clan is two tree sparrows. The sparrow dance is performed every year at the Aoba festival in May. Even school children perfectly learn and perform the sparrow dance.
In conclusion, the two main types of traditional Japanese dance are Odori and Mai, each with a few branches from them. Odori was mainly for men and Mai was based on theatre drama and dramatic makeup. The other four dance forms were, Kabuki, Noh Mai, Bon Odori and Nihon Buyo. Kabuki was known for over-the-top makeup and skillful performers. Noh Mai is one of the oldest dance forms in Japan and is performed elegantly to music or rhythm. Noh Mai also has several branches from it. Bon Odori was a dance done after death to welcome recently deceased people into the afterlife. Nihon Buyo, the odd one out, was the most refined of the dances and actually performed on stage. A famous Nihon Buyo dance would be The Sparrow Dance, improvised by a group of stonemasons.
I chose this topic because it was the first thing that popped into my mind when I sat down to decide what I should do for this project. I instantly shot to ?traditional Japanese dance?, I have no clue why, but it just came to me. Shortly after I dug into some research of the topic, I knew I made the right decision because it was all very interesting and enlightening.