Kumi Odori - Elements of Style

Elements of Style

Kumi odori is a mixture of dance styles that has its roots in Okinawan, Chinese, and Japanese methods. In addition to this, it incorporates qualities from religious dances, kami ashibi or chondara, and chants, umui, which were prevalent in villages of the past (Foley 2). A true conglomerate, it merges music, song, narrative, and dance all for a dramatic effect. Originally performed by completely male casts of aristocratic origin, today it is also performed by women who typically take on the roles of females or young males. In the past, casting was dependent greatly on body type, and smaller males would perform these parts. The movements of the kumi odori are very slow and deliberate. There are no shows of bravura nor are there any obvious feats of difficulty, rather the complexity of the steps lies in its restrained simplicity (Foley 6). Highly stylized, its characteristic gliding walk is said to be one of the hardest steps to master. In classical ballet, it is said that it is more difficult to truly master bourrees (tiny connected steps en pointe which travel across the floor) than it is to complete multiple pirouettes, although the latter may look more impressive, and the same notion applies here. Generally speaking, the easier a step may seem, the harder it is to perfect. There are three levels of odori (dance): realistic actions, emotional actions, and dances within a dance. The characteristic walk discussed earlier would be an example of a realistic action, meant to tell a story. The addition of dance steps to these actions would comprise the second level, and the inclusion of travel dances, or michiyuki, within the storyline would fulfill the third (Foley 7). This is common in many forms of dance, especially in the classical ballet. Often, the main storyline will be subverted by peasant dances or divertissements provided purely for the dance itself, rather than substantially promoting the storyline. Although kumi odori shows greats parallels to the no style of performance, there are also several characteristics that provide distinction between the two. Both feature sparse settings, eliminating the need for elaborate backdrops or scenery. Similar material, structure, and quality of performance echo in both. However, where no deals with Buddhist thought, kumi odori leans toward Confucianism, choosing to promote moderation rather than enlightenment. Where no performers would typically wear a mask, kumi odori performers express their characters through makeup and other means (Foley 3-4). Facial expressions are understated and emotion is displayed through the movements of the head or the cast of the eyes (Foley 7). The eyes always lead the head, and just as in classical ballet, the eyes arrive first and the rest of the body follows. Such careful attention to detail gives a refined and controlled action life, without which the art would cease to give the desired impression.

There are two qualities that define a good kumi odori performance: kan and konashi. Kan is similar to the idea of innate stage presence, something that cannot be learned. Konashi, on the other hand, is the culmination of the skills acquired through years of experience. All performers must have both characteristics in order for a performance to be deemed good. The idea of hin, or innate grace, is also important (Foley 11). This does not come immediately and can only be achieved after years of hard work and dedication. It is said that one cannot be a good performer of kumi odori, no or kabuki, until at least fifty, which is quite the opposite of the baby ballerinas favored by many in western dance. Perhaps most importantly, while no focuses on past events, the kumi odori style focuses on present action (Foley 4). Kabuki and no both lack the heavy emphasis on music that is so important to kumi odori.