so I learned how to laugh like a lady! (Kabuki)

[aimeekitty]

The Kabuki demonstration/performance/lecture last night was AMAZING. It was just as good as the Bunraku (Japanese puppet) event last year. Now all we need is for them to bring Kabuki and Bunraku AGAIN,... and bring out Takarazuka. TEE-HEE! Please pardon my gibberish spewing about it.

They explained the musical cues (how the drums immitated rain and snow... ) and then we watched the performance of Sagi Musume (look it up on youtube... it'll make you cry.) Even though I probably should have gotten there earlier, I still was sitting quite close. The theater is relatively small, so I think everyone got a really intimate view of it.

Sagi Musume is about a snow heron who imagines herself as a human girl. As she daydreams,... visually, she's transforming into a woman. With the help of one stage hand, she's able to change extremely quickly (often while still dancing) from kimono to kimono. She dances through her imagined human life, but things get darker and her love ends badly. In despair, she changes back into her real form, the heron. At the very end... the bird maiden, standing on a platform, with a sudden spotlight on her highlighting her feather-patterned kimono... really DID look like a bird. The illusion was fascinating.

a few random notes and sketches done during the lecture and performance:


The onnagata, after performing sagi musume,... came out in his makeup, sans-wig, just in a simple yukata... and explained how he did the female movements!

His explanation and demo was utterly amazing. He'd be standing normally, as a guy... and then he'd say, watch me become a woman... and he'd pull his shoulder blades back, and slope his shoulders,... and roll his upper body delicately as he walked with his knees together... one foot pigeon-toed right in front of the other. That was impressive, but seeing JUST the shoulder part from behind... you really got the impression that he suddenly was a woman. You could hear the murmur of surprise and delight ripple across the audience.

They also showed from start to finish doing the kumadori red makeup! ON STAGE! With a camera on him so we could see close up! They impressed upon us how lucky we were to see this "backstage" information... that they don't show this kind of thing even in Japan. (They even took off one of the "stage ninja"'s masks.)
and then the two actors performed a male and female lion dance. ENCHANTING. We of course gave them a standing ovation.

The most important thing I learned, though, was how to laugh like a woman. <3


Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Comments

[jinyo.livejournal.com]

WOW.
I can't believe they did the makeup on stage for you, with close-up cameras!
Sounds like an amazing event!

[roxyk630.livejournal.com]

I'd have loved to attend something like that. We've been lucky enough to have Buyo but no Bunraku or Kabuki yet!

How fascinating! <3

PS: LOVE THE KIMONO AND OBI. I love fall colors, and that is gorgeous.

[ashbet]

That is just AMAZING. So happy that you got to attend!!

-- A :D

[larasgirl.livejournal.com]

That sounds so lovely! Your obi is gorgeous. Love it!

[xbiteyourtongue.livejournal.com]

wooah, that sounds amazing! *A*

[starlollie.livejournal.com]

laughing picture is sooooo cute:)

[nav.livejournal.com]

I love love love your kimono ensemble. You wore it really well. The event sounds like it was amazing, you're lucky to live in a city where you have access to things like that. *jealous*

[franknberry.livejournal.com]

Sounds like it was a beautiful event! Also you are adorable in your kimono! Glad you had fun!

[uniformgrey.livejournal.com]

That sounds like it was both a fascinating and highly educational outing coupled with brilliant performances - you have such amazing shows open to you! I'm glad that you got to experience it considering your deep fascination with Japanese culture.

[unravelingsky.livejournal.com]

i dont know anything about kabuki but i tseems like a beautiful performance. and you look dazzling! =)

[angelsamui.livejournal.com]

I was in LOVE with my kabuki performance class in college. We were so lucky to have Professor Furumoto teach. I wish he had been able to offer the upper level course in it while I was there. But I always enjoyed the makeup demonstrations. I wish I remembered all my dances. But I still remember how to walk like a princess. lol

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

WOW, that is so cool! I'd love to take a class like that! Lucky! I've been considering trying to take japanese dance classes because I'm interested in the storytelling aspect of it... but I also need some sort of dance that I can get some cardio in, and japanese dance, usually, is not that. Also, I'm not sure if my knees are strong enough. But it's very interesting!

[nofunangie.livejournal.com]

This isn't on topic at all, but I just visited Coilhouse and found a photo of you at the aquarium.
http://coilhouse.net/

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

haha, that's great!

[angelsamui.livejournal.com]

OMG your thighs will burn in a kabuki class! And you'll go through a lot of your socks with how dirty you'll make them. But you're right, not very cardio friendly.

[volleygurl2418.livejournal.com]

Sounds amazing! Laughing like a girl for the win XDD

Seeing your posts make me want to move out to the west coast more and more. Indiana just won't cut it DX

[sarcasm-hime.livejournal.com]

OMG SO FREAKIN JEALOUS

I've watched lots of Tamasaburo's videos on Youtube and would die to see how the costume changes work up close. Especially the ones where he changes the obi (!) while it's still tied.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

they had pins for some things...

but, it was almost like the obi was two parts, the belt (like when done with an obi aid) and the bow. So you remove the place where the belt is tied and then just rip it off.

Also, the sleeves were split at the bottom and attached to each other somehow so you couldnt tell until they released them. also, the kimono was split at the waist. So you release the top kimono jacket from the obi, release the bottom of the sleeve, and then just rip off the whole top of the kimono. amazing.

there was other stuff too, but it was hard to see everything and pay attention to everything.

the feather details at the end,... it was like a transparent kimono with embroidered feather outline. In the youtube or dvds, I've never been able to so clearly tell that it's a wing pattern before.

[smileysquid.livejournal.com]

ooh great summary!
it was so good to see you, as always<3

HO HO HO HO

[sarcasm-hime.livejournal.com]

That transparent thing makes me really excited because for years I've been thinking about doing a Yuki-onna with a sheer white organza uchikake embroidered with pines and snowflakes and stuff.

[volleygurl2418.livejournal.com]

Random- Isn't the reason why the women cover their mouths when laughing (maybe crying too, I dunno), is so their teeth don't show? I remember hearing something along those lines in college, but its all very hazy >0

[scruffyrebel.livejournal.com]

so pretty *.*

[sailorzelda.livejournal.com]

You are so PRETTY in that kimono! :D

And I so badly wanted to go to that demonstration... saw it advertised, but alas, I am in New Mexico...

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

sorry, the picture I took of you and me didn't turn out! (I look stupid. hahah. XD) Nice seeing you julie!

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

Yuki-onna! that would be totally cool.