In Search of Shirabyōshi
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In search of Shirabyōshi by Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt Examensarbete inom konstnärligt masterprogram i teater, inriktning fördjupat skådespeleri Vårterminen 2014 Degree Project, 60 higher education credits Master of Fine Arts in Theatre with specialization in acting Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg Spring Semester 2014 Author: Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt Title: In search of Shirabyōshi Title in English: In search of Shirabyōshi Supervisor: Cecilia Lagerström, Klas Grinell, Kent Sjöström Examiner: Pia Muchin Cover photo: Laila Östlund from the performance 20xLamentation ABSTRACT Key words: Transnational theatre, Shirabyōshi, Kabuki, Japanese dance, Japanese theatre, Nō theatre, Nihon Buyo, Asian theatre, Intercultural theatre, Artistic research This text is a winding wandering between Swedish and Japanese performance cultures. I have examined the performing arts by living, examining, learning, travelling, meeting, creating, and recounting examples and events from my experiences. I have compared my own experiences with historical sources and the knowledge of traditional and contemporary performers. With movement as my most important perspective, I have built up the text as a travelogue with an essayistic approach. Ancient texts, and the practical studies of traditional pieces from the Japanese dance and theatre repertoire have supported the composing of two very different performances related to the ancient cross-gender performers Shirabyōshi. I have tried to understand and compare their situation with my own from historical, artistic, political and religious point of views. It has been a form of hermeneutical process where I have uncovered new understanding while things were made visible. 2 3 4 In Search of Shirabyōshi by Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt Table of Contents Acknowledgements..........................................................................................................................6 Points of departure...........................................................................................................................9 A varied palette of American/European performance techniques.............................................13 When she dances, he says, she is like a female Immortal.........................................................19 My own compositional methods...............................................................................................21 Close encounter with Senrei sensei................................................................................................24 Traditional texts.........................................................................................................................40 Shirabyōshi and the cross-dressing costume.............................................................................46 Ancient female performers of Japan: Miko, Asobi, Kugutsu, Shirabyōshi, and Kusemai........49 Imayō.........................................................................................................................................51 Shirabyōshi reconstructed in Kabuki dance..............................................................................54 Shizuka's lament........................................................................................................................62 Shirabyōshi and Emperors.........................................................................................................66 Culture shocks and the conflict of ma.......................................................................................68 The Master student....................................................................................................................71 Sacred female culture................................................................................................................76 The reflective practitioner.........................................................................................................82 The dōjō and the Alien Girl.......................................................................................................92 Seiza..........................................................................................................................................98 The creation of twenty jeremiads............................................................................................108 The Otokoyaku and The Onnagata..........................................................................................123 Ichi-go ichi-e...........................................................................................................................126 Epilogue.......................................................................................................................................131 Post-epilogue - My manifesto.................................................................................................132 Appendix......................................................................................................................................133 References....................................................................................................................................152 5 Acknowledgements I wish to thank Nishikawa Senrei sensei for her lifetime passion dedicated to the art of dance, and for patiently teaching me an ancient artform that was brand new to me. I am extending my gratitude to my supervisors: Cecilia Lagerström, who encouraged me to write a detective story rather than a scientific text, Klas Grinell, for his valuable comments on text structure, and finally Kent Sjöström, who helped me to get a Brechtian attitude to my work. I also thank Lena Dahlen, who calmly and poetically guided me through issues of writing. I thankfully acknowledge Jonah Salz, who introduced me to the traditional Japanese performing arts and Takae Hoshino, who always has offered great assistance in Kyoto. I am thanking Palle Dahlstedt for helping me find the right texts and libraries, and for always making the best music and espresso. I owe further thanks to Anna Elgemark, who gave me such great and clear help with the English language, and I also want to thank Pia Muchin for identifying physical performance metodologies. I am thankful to Kristin Johansson-Lassbo for always helping out in creating new kimono details and wonderful costumes. I am also remembering Heidi S Durning, who inspired me to explore what artistic fusion work could be, and Peter Golightly and Mori Takewaka for helping out with translation and bikes. I bow to Kumiko Nonaka, who always gave me such valuable information and wonderful music. I also thank Folke Johansson, who followed me all the way to Kyoto to immortalize Senrei sensei and the cherry blossoms. I owe further thanks to Emiko Ota and Midori Tsuda for being so helpful with the studying of the piece Kuro kami. I want to thank my collaborators with the performances played at 3:e Våningen (3rd Floor): the fine light and smoke designer Åsa Holtz, the great performers and colleagues Janni Groenwold Tschanz, Frej von Fräähsen and Elisabeth Belgrano, the patient and talented editor Rasmus Ohlander, the ingenious photographers Laila Östlund and Anders Bryngel, the always supportive artistic directors Gun Lund, Lars Persson, and Olof Persson, the always good- spirited Finn Pettersson, Cecilia Flodén Alm, and Dan Sundqvist, the most helpful Thomas Magnusson, the supportive Gunilla Röör, and Sara Svärdsén, the skilful Anette Pooja and Karin Nordling. I extend my gratitude to Herbert Jonsson who taught me the basics of academic writing, and to Makiko Sakurai, the contemporary underground Shirabyōshi, who patiently answered my questions. I bow deeply to Toste and Egil, Jan and Kerstin, to my reflection group: to Joanna Etherton-Friberg, Inger Dehlholm, Luisa Denward, Gerd Karlsson, Monique Wernham. This essay would not have seen light unless the continuous support from The Academy of music and drama, and from my wonderful classmates. Finally, I want to thank Västra Götalandregionen, the 6 Scholarship Foundation for Studies of Japanese Society, the Adlerbert fund and Gothenburg City for grants and awards that financed the performances, the field trip to Kyoto, and these studies. 7 Suriashi I walk on a very narrow path, given that I have two legs that want to share the space below me. Walking in this manner is Japanese, but it has lost its nationality and time after years of practice. It arouses me. It lulls me. I know where my hands are. Composed on top of my thighs. I know where my fingers are. They are an equally important part of the composition. The fingers are held together, even the thumb. It wakes me up. It makes me sleepy. I know where my shoulders are. More active in the feminine construction. Less active in the male construction. Feminine - more of trapezius. More of latissimus dorsi. Male - more of deltoid. More of pectoralis. Different days, different tasks. Entity. Unity. Agreement. Integrality. Oneness. Equality. Or Separation. Divergency. Dissimilarity. Alteration. Diversion. Deviation. We can never be unified. I do not always know in advance how this walk will be. It does me good. Not necessarily enlightened. Not necessarily saved. Not necessarily redeemed. I walk. Or my body walks. It is anesthetizing. It is thrilling. I know where my elbows are. It might make my position clear. It establishes institution. I know where my knees are. The body dissolves. It makes rules. It disappears. It draws up, and executes. I know where my feet are.