Okuni the Kabuki Dancer

The Sensual Japanese Dance’s Development in Edo

May 21, 2009

Music, dance and drama - these three characters in kanji make up the word kabuki, a traditional Japanese theatrical fusion of aesthetics and culture.

The word kabuki is originally derived from the word kabuki, which literally means “to incline, or tilt to one side”. It also carried a connotation of unorthodoxy, which was disapproved of in 16th century feudal Japan. However, with time, it gradually took on the meaning of “avant-garde”, particularly in relation to kabuki dance’s extravagant, even ludicrous, stage costumes and skits.

Kabuki dance is largely credited to Okuni, a miko (shrine maiden) from the province of Izumo. Her story is shrouded in both legends and truth, but she was famed for her skill in singing and dancing, and also for her beauty.

It was during her performances in Kyoto that she also became known for her folk dances in honour of Amida Buddha. Her particular adaptation, however, tended to be known for its sultriness and sexual innuendo. The earliest performances of kabuki were dismissed by critics as gaudy and trivial, as it was basically song and dance with no significant plot; but it was equally extolled as colourful and moving.

Cross-dressing was a prominent feature in Okuni’s kabuki, which was seen as daring and also titillating.She is said to have introduced the hanamichi (path of flowers), a runway leading from the rear of the theatre and crossing between the audience to the stage, that is still used in Japanese theatre today.

Kabuki rose to unprecedented popularity in 1603 during the period known as Pax Tokugawa, which was characterised by stability and peace under the Tokugawa shogunate after more than a century of civil wars.

Kabuki differs in two major respects from classical Japanese performing arts. Firstly, earlier incarnations of Japanese dramas always featured masked performers. In kabuki however, the performers were unmasked, representing the rejection of oppression, and appreciation of the human body. The fact that Okuni’s troupe only comprised of female dancers also flouted ancient Japanese status quo, where women are seen as men’s inferiors.

The dance styles of kabuki are also significantly different from the styles which were popularised in Noh theatre enjoyed by the samurai class. Classical dances were characterised by stately, dignified movements, with the dancers’ feet hardly leaving the floor. Kabuki, having been derived from folk dances, was at the other end of the spectrum, with leaping dance steps known as odori. Originally regarded as unrefined, ithas since been recognised as an art.

Dancers and Courtesans

As Okuni’s dances gained popularity, it also inspired a host of imitators, who were comprised of women who were as much yujo (prostitutes) as they claimed to be artists. Author Sawako Ariyoshi, however, maintained that while copycats of Okuni’s dance styles served as courtesans on the side, the founder never subjected herself to such a position.

It came to a point where spectators were more interested in the pretty young women than their performances. This was seen as an outrage to public morality by the Tokugawa shogunate, and in 1629 female dance troupes were banned.

Women’s kabuki was succeeded by Wakashu kabuki, which was performed by young, almost androgynous boys. This was short-lived, however, for in 1652 it was also banned on grounds of indecency. Because of these restrictions, the development of kabuki took a decidedly different direction – from sensuous showmanship to dramatic art which focuses on dialogue and limited dancing.

400 years on, the ancient art of kabuki still draws audiences from around the world. In 2002, a statue of Okuni was erected on Kawabata Street in Kyoto, in honour of her contributions to Japanese theatre. The legend lives on.

The copyright of the article Okuni the Kabuki Dancer in Asian Dance is owned by Cheryn Tan. Permission to republish Okuni the Kabuki Dancer in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.