Dear Yuko Nishikawa Sensei,
How are you? It has been a while.
‘Tis the season of plum blossom. A kind of pristine “qi” always flows on your stage which inspires me.
Perhaps I am biased due to my lack of knowledge. I often feel a sense of coquetry and coyness from Kabuki dance pieces that have deep ties with red light districts.
Having said that, I feel a sense of dignity and intellect akin to Noh and Kyogen performances from your dance.
For example, when you dance a well-known piece like “Musume Dojoji”, there is no trace of coquetry. You feel the purity of the heart of a young maiden in love, in the freshest.
Dare I say that I see the possibility of Nihon Buyo in the new millennium.
I dream of Nihon Buyo as a form of expression where a woman can release her body and soul, unconstrained by social boundaries and others.
That is also connected with contemporary Tanka (a form of Japanese poetry), my art form. I strive for Tanka pieces that are dignified and free from coyness.
Please excuse me for offering my humble observations.
Sincerely,
Shion Mizuhara (Tanka poet)
Dear Shion Mizuhara Sensei,
Thank you for your correspondence.
There is a stage based on the classic masterpiece “Musume Dojoji” at the end of this March. I have been so preoccupied with choreography and rehearsals that my reply to your letter received in the season of plum blossoms has been deferred to this season of Doll Festival.
Born into a family of Nihon Buyo dancers, I studied female dances and male dances alternately since I was little. Thus, I have staged both female and male dances at the at the annual review-performances of the Nishkawa School (of Classical Japanese Dance Master and Dancer)
I have gratefully taken advantage of the environment to study dance. In my late 20’s, I have staged, “Seki no To”, “Yoshino Yama” and “Shitadashi Sanbaso”, which are signature male dances of my father. In reflection, I feel I have been able to understand the zest of transformation and the framework of Kabuki dance, a little. Later, I have danced “Musume Dojoji”, viewed by many masters of Noh and Bunraku. Looking back, I break into a cold sweat, reviewing myself.
A little before dancing “Musume Dojoji”, I garnerd words from my father and Shigeka Hanayagi Sensei, my two teachers, that would become the foundation of my dance activities.
Between small talks, my father said “Since we are not Kabuki actors, it would seem strange if we go on stage with our faces painted white, especially in our 70’s and 80’s. We should be able to dance with no make-up.”
Shigeka Sensei told me during a practice, “Put your life on the dance.”
As in you have written, “Nihon Buyo as a form of expression” … that is not only defined to performing classical pieces smoothly. If I could also understand the sentiments and physical techniques that were honored by past masters, and are relevant to contemporary Japanese, from each dance piece; and present that to the current time, and create contemporary Nihon Buyo works, I might feel that I have fulfilled a mission as a member of a family where an art form is passed down from a generation to the next.
I think the continuity of classical art works is not possible without the above perspective.
I feel a connection with you, as if we are bound by a slim, yet resilient thread; and I am so grateful for that. Thank you so much.
Yuko Nishikawa