Japanese Dance

Japanese dance is such a general statement, and so broad it simplifies it  to much.

Classic traditional  can be compared to ballet,tap, jazz & pantomime.  There  is flowing soft graceful movement, there is rhythimical stomping and clapping, there is fast and slow movements; some with meaning some with just beautiful choreography. Characters can be male, female, old, young, animal, spirits, devils anything is possible. 

Shinbuyo is new choreography to modern songs.

Minzoku buyo are dances to local songs, often simple choreography so everybody can easily jump in and participate.  These dances are used at festivals.

Bon is a time in August, from about the 15th to the end of the month  which there are festivals all over Japan where you can dance various minzoku dances and it is called Bon Odori.

Noh and Kyogen dances were the begining of Japanese stage dances.  It is called Mai and is in some form in all Japanese dance styles.

Butoh is a realitively new form it seems to be the opposite to classic on almost every front, it has a very unique concept.  Interesting enough most Japanese do not consider it Japanese and if you ask them if they know it, most do not know it by name and it takes a detailed explantion do get any kind of recognition.

Kimihina                        kimono