1999 Seminar

BEYOND TRADITION: KATA FORM, DEFORM, AND REFORM
This year's T.T.T./Ryukoku University seminar is to be held July 23-25 in Kyoto. As with the 1998 seminar, Beyond Tradition features masters of various arts offering their insights through workshops and lecture-demonstrations.

This year's theme, KATA, will examine the concept of coded movements central to all arts in Japan. What are kata? How is the term used specifically within individual traditions? How are old kata transmitted? How are new ones created? How does an artist fulfill obligations to enter kata and break them at the same time? International guests will offer a comparative perspective on kata as tool and building block.

The program will include the following masters, paired and individually:

  • Akira Shigeyama, Okura school kyogen act
  • Akira Matsui, Kita school noh acto
  • Masamichi Oniki, Shindo Muso School, stick-fighting (jodo)
The seminar will be bilingual, Japanese and English. Participants are encouraged to attend all three days for maximum benefit, and to parcipate in stimulating discussion of comparative genres. The seminar will be moderated by Jonah Salz, Julie Iezzi, and Tetsunori Koizumi.

1999 Classes

This year’s program celebrates its fifteenth year with an intensification of the normal six weeks of training into one week all-day sessions. While we realize that the gradual accumulation of knowledge that is fundamental to all these arts is impossible with such a schedule, we feel that the intensity and compactness of the week-long session will lead to an authentic and deep learning experience. Economically, the costs of hotels, travel, and food are considerably lessened. And participants no longer have to choose from among the various arts, but can do all three in successive sessions. On the other hand, recitals will be small rather than include all genres; not all participants will stay for the whole program. This is the first time such a schedule has been attempted, so please understand that there may be unexpected glitches but also happy results.

Schedule for Classes

Lessons are held daily in a teacher’s keikoba, home or rented studios. Times vary for teachers:

NOH - July 15-23 -

Noh, daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with some holidays, final recital on noh stage (30 hours total lesson-time). Short dances and singing taught first to the group, then individual dances chosen according to abilities and proclivities. One learns by one-on-one imitation of the teacher, but also by observing fellow students. The week's training will culminate on the evening of July 23rd with a public recital by students and teachers on the noh stage at Kansai Seminar House in formal yukata/hakata rather than full costumes, accompanied by teacher’s singing the evening of July 23rd will culminate the week’s training. Equipment needed: tabi socks, fans (Kita school, purchasable from teacher, ¥4000). Recommended: tape recorders.

KATA SEMINAR - July 23-25 -

Beyond Tradition: Kata Form, deform, and reform Seminar, Kansai Seminar House, 9am-9pm daily. In addition to the daily training, T.T.T. is supporting a seminar that is free and open to participants. This is an experiental/academic seminar sponsored by Ryukoku University’s Socio-Cultural Research Institute. Systems theorist Tetsunori Koizumi and performance theorist Jonah Salz will co-moderate sessions conducted by noh, kyogen, and kabuki actors, and a guest Chinese clapper opera actress, exploring the notion of kata, codified patterns of vocalizations and physical gesture in traditional arts. On Saturday, July 24th, an open stage for participants own performances will be provided.

NIHONBUYO - July 26-31 -

Nihonbuyo 1pm-6pm or 12pm-5pm, undetermined (30 hours). Teacher Yamashita will choose a 5-10 minute dance for each student the first day. Students study as a group shadowing the individual whose dance is being taught. One learns several dances peripherally, one’s own dance perfectly. A final recital in yukata with some stage properties is to taped accompaniment will finish the course. Required: yukata cotton kimono (¥10,000), fan ¨¥3000.

KYOGEN - Aug 1 -

Kyogen 10a.m-4p.m., place undetermined (6 hours instruction). This is a creative approach to traditional forms. The morning will be spent learning basics of kyogen stance, walking, mime, and structure. In the afternoon, students will interpret Aesop’s fables in kyogen style, developing walks and story structures appropriately. These will then be presented and critiqued by Shigeyama. Finally the lively dance Thundergod (Kaminari) will be learned.

Times will vary slightly depending on numbers of participants (limited to 10, 20 for kyogen). It is too early to know how many participants will actually attend, perhaps 5-8 for each class. Noh is the more popular of the offerings so far.