Japanese traditional dance

[1] Mai and odori are the two main groups of Japanese dances, and the term buyō (舞踊) was coined in modern times as a general term for dance, by combining mai (舞) (which can also be pronounced bu) and odori (踊) (which can also be pronounced yō).

[citation needed] Odori has more vigorous stepping movements and is more energetic, and dances of the kabuki theatre belong to this category.

The mai style is reserved and typified by circling movements where the body is kept low to the ground.

However, this classical ending was altered in later versions (which borrowed heavily from Anna Pavlova's performances of The Dying Swan) so the spirit gradually became lifeless, ultimately sinking to the floor.

Since the word 'kabuki' is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning 'to lean' or 'to be out of the ordinary', kabuki can be interpreted as 'avant-garde' or 'bizarre' theatre.

The history of kabuki began in 1603, when Izumo no Okuni, possibly a shrine maiden of Izumo Taisha Temple, began performing a new style of dance drama in the dry riverbeds of Kyoto, and they were then called "strange" or "unusual" (kabuki).

[5][6] Noh mai is a dance that is done to music that is made by flutes and small hand drums called tsuzumi.

A slower type of dance is the jo no mai, which is also done by a female, sometimes dressed up as a ghost of a noble woman, a spirit, or a deity.

Gaku is a dance that imitates music played at the imperial court and is usually done by the main character in a Noh drama.

Dances and play may start out slowly, so actors create flamboyant, colourful costumes to keep the audience engaged.

[11] Most of the repertoire has been borrowed from 18th and 19th century kabuki theatre and even from the yūkaku (pleasure quarters) of Edo Japan.

[11] Nihon buyō takes a few key elements from Noh such as the circular movements and the tools used in its dances.

The sparrow dance is now performed yearly in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture at the Aoba festival in mid-May.

[12] School children in Miyagi prefecture learn and perform the sparrow dance, especially during the Obon Festival.

The movement and gestures in a bon dance often depict the history, work or geography of the region.

Soran Bushi[17] is a sea shanty, and the movements in the dance depict net dragging and luggage hoisting.

Bon dances may employ the use of different utensils, such as fans, small towels and wooden hand clappers.