Traditional Japanese Music and Dance

.Sharing ~ Learning ~ Growing ............................... The World Stories Project.

A Kabuki Dancer demonstrated how she prepares for a performance.


Step one is putting on a hairpiece and band that not only covers the hair, but also works like a sweat band.	Next the white base is applied.	Then make up is carefully applied. When Kabuki was first done 600 years ago, big eyes and a small mouth were thought to be very attractive, so they are painted in an exaggerated fashion.

The kimona is put on and elaborately tied.	Next the wig is put on; it has a metal frame which is quite heavy.	She looked magnificent!
		The gentleman who taught us about Kabuki grew up in the United States and studied at Harvard University. He now lives in Japan. What a great speaker. He said that he tells his students if you think you don't like Kabuki because it is too slow, maybe you are watching it too fast. You can slow down your level of perception to a place of enjoyment. (To my students: Thanks to Mrs. Schwalbe, our orchestra teacher, I understand a little about Japanese music sounds so different than ours. Ask her about it.)