A world of sensual movements and monumental sounds is brought to life in this Japanese production showcasing centuries-old traditions of performing art. The distinctive blend of dramatic art, dance and traditional music in kabuki dance is combined with a dramatically tense, lyrical jōruri story told through a narrator to produce an enthralling cultural exploration of the world of Japanese arts.
The kabuki dance interlude Echigojishi (The Echigo Lion) is a rhythmic dance drama featuring traditional singing and musical accompaniment as a unique amalgam of the “lion dance” and the Japanese tap dance performed in traditional ippon-geta wooden clogs.
Kikaigashima (Devil’s Island), a jōruri piece with a musical backdrop and unique narration, is a work from 1719 by the famed dramatist Chikamatsu Monzaemon, the “Japanese Shakespeare”. The work immortalises the extraordinary Japanese moral system characterised by parental solicitude, the virtue of self-sacrifice and fervent loyalty to one’s master.
One of the most famous pieces in the kabuki dance repertoire is Sagi musume (The Heron Maiden). This is the spiritual tale of a white heron that takes the form of a young girl, portraying the struggle of a soul concealed in human form and imbued with feelings of love, jealousy and the agonies of death. The performance demands exceptional command of Japanese technique through its rapid on-stage costume changes.

Presented by: Japan Foundation, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Arts Foundation