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The
Japan-India Traditional Performing Arts Exchange Project 2004
Noh and
Kutiyattam – “Treasures of World Cultural Heritage”
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The First meeting of
artists in Kerala
The First
Ever Performance of Noh in Kerala
The Fourth Performance
of Kamigata-mai
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Sponsored by the Tokyo
Metropolitan Government, The Japan
Foundation and the Government of the State of Kerala.
Supported by the Embassy
of India in Japan
and the Indo-Japanese Association
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Date:
Venues:
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December 26, 2004 –
January 4, 2005
Kuthambalam in
Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
[Noh]
[Kutiyattam] [Kamigata-mai]
Rangaprabhat Children’s
Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
[Kamigata-Mai]
Kerala
Kalamandalam Cheruturuthy
[Kamigata-Mai]
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Noh (Japan) and Kutiyattam (India)
have been declared “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of
Humanity” by the UNESCO in 2001.
The Japan-India
Traditional Arts Exchange Project 2004 therefore initiates the first
meeting of actors of these art forms as well as the first ever
performance of Noh in Kerala while continuing the presentation of the
traditional Japanese solo dance form ‘kamigata-mai’ with a fourth
performance.
Basic Schedule
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The First
Meeting of Noh and Kutiyattam Actors in Kerala – Kutiyattam performance
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Dec.26:
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10.00
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am
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Meeting
with Kutiyattam artists from Natana Kairali und Ammannur Chachu Chakyar
Smaraka Gurukulam, Irinjalakuda, Kerala
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Reception
to the Japanese delegation of Noh & Kamigata-mai group (special
invitees)
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Kutiyattam:
Lecture-demonstration
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Lunch break
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05.30
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pm
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Kutiyattam performance:
“Vikramorvaseeyam” by Kalidas
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Venue:
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Vyloppilly Samskrithi
Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
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Noh
Performance
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Dec.27:
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09.30
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am
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Inauguration
of the Japanese program by the Minister of Tourism and Devasoms
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10.00
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am
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Noh:
Lecture-demonstration
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07.00
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pm
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Noh performance: “Hagoromo” by
Zeami
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Dec.28:
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10.00
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am
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Interaction
with Noh artists
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Lunch break
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Farewell
to the Noh artists
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Venue:
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Vyloppilly Samskrithi
Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
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Kamigata-mai
Performances
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Dec.29:
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10.00
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am
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Kamigata-mai: Lecture-demonstration
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07.00
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pm
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Kamigata-mai
performance: [YASHIMA] “Yashima” – [YUKI] “Snow”
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Venue:
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Vyloppilly Samskrithi
Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
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Kamigata-mai Workshop
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Dec.30:
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Inauguration
- Workshop
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Dec.31:
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Workshop
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Jan.01:
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Workshop -
Performance
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Jan.02:
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Workshop
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Venue:
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Rangaprabhat Children’s
Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
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One of the pieces in
the former (3rd) performance of Kamigata-mai in Kerala was “The
Marriage Procession of the Foxes.” In Japan, when it starts
raining while the sun is still shining, people say that the foxes must
be having a marriage procession. We learned that the same thing is also
said in India.
In this workshop, we will produce a translation of the text of “The
Marriage Procession of the Foxes” in the Malayalam language; then we
will create a new dance for children that incorporates some of the
methods of Kamigata-mai. At the end of the workshop, the children will
perform this new work.
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Jan.03:
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Kamigata-mai performance:
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Venue:
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Not yet decided
[Thrissur or Ernakulam district]
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Jan.04:
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Kamigata-mai: Lecture-demonstration
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Kamigata-mai performance:
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Venue:
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Kerala Kalamandalam,
Cheruturuthy, tentative [Thrissur]
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Cast & Staff Lists
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Noh: “Hagoromo” (The Feather Robe)
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Performers
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Shite (Celestial Maiden)
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Norinaga Umewaka
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Waki (Fisherman)
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Dai Murase
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Jiutai (Chorus)
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Haruhiko Hasegawa,
Tatsuya Hatta, Yoshiaki Ito, Shingo Kato (leader),
Tomoya Komuro, Masahiro
Nakamura, Osamu Toda, Hisaki Umewaka
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Koken (Stage Assistants)
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Ken’ichi Aoki, Yasushi
Umewaka
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Hayashi-kata (Musicians)
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Kotsuzumi(Shoulder drum)
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Kensaku Araki
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Ohtsuzumi (Hip drum)
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Eitaro Okura
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Taiko (Stick drum)
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Hideki Kajitani
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Fue (Japanese Flute)
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Yusuke Kuribayashi
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Staff
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Stage Manager
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Keiji Osakabe
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Commentator/Interpreter
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Stephen Comee
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Kutiyattam:
“Vikramorvasheeyam” by Mahakavi
Kalidas, directed and choreographed by G. Venu
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Performers
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Sutradhara
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Ammanur Rajaneesh Chakyar
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Pururavas
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Soraj Nambiar
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Urvashi
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Kapila Nangiar
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Mizhavu
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Kalamandalam Rajeev
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Kalamandalam Hariharan
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Kalamandalam Narayanan
Nambiar
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Edakka
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Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan
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Talam
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Nirmala Panicker
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Aparna Nangiar
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Make-up
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Kalanilayam Haridas
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Troupe
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Natana Kairali and
Ammanur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulum
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Kamigata-mai:
Jiuta “YASHIMA”(Yashima), Jiuta “YUKI” (Snow)
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Performers
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Dancer
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Kei’in Yoshimura
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Chanter/Shamisen
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Masae Yoshizawa
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Kokyu
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So Sugiura
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Commentator
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Yukitoshi Morishige
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Staff
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Dresser
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Yasuko Tomita
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Video/Interpreter
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Mikio Shimamura
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Stage technicians
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Kinji Dogu, Eiichi
Horibata
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Business manager
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Masahiko Kunihiro
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Produced
by Kamigatamaitomonokai, Tokyo.JAPAN
http://www.kamigatamaitomonokai.org/
Coordinated by Ravi
Gopalan NAIR, KERALA,
INDIA
The 1st Noh Performance in Kerala
About
Noh Drama
Noh is a
classical Japanese performance art that combines elements of dance,
drama, music, and poetry into one highly aesthetic stage art. Refined
into the aesthetic art we know in the 14th and 15th centuries, it is
performed throughout the country by professional artists, who have
passed down the art among family members for numerous generations. The
Umewaka Kennokai troupe is one such group, and it boasts a 700-year
lineage of actors from ancient times. The main actor of this
performance, Norinaga Umewaka, is the eldest son of the current head of
the troupe, Manzaburo Umewaka III.
Synopsis
of the Play
Noh: Hagoromo (“The Feather
Robe”)
Once upon a
time, a fisherman named Hakuryo found a beautiful feather robe (hagoromo)
hanging on a pine tree along a beach near Mt. Fuji.
When he took it and was about to take it home as a family treasure, a
heavenly maiden appeared. Saying it was hers, she asked him to return
it to her, explaining that she was unable to fly back to heaven without
it. Hakuryo refused, and the heavenly maiden cried out in despair.
Finally, the fisherman said, "I'll return it to you if you show me the
celestial dance of the heavenly maidens." She agreed, and after he
returned the robe to her, she performed the dance of the heavenly
maidens and then flew back to heaven.
The piece beautifully portrays the dilemma of the heavenly maiden. When
the fisherman says that if he gives the robe back, she will fly back to
heaven without dancing for him, she softly replies that deceit is
unknown in heaven, and only exists in the hearts of men. As performed
by Noh master Umewaka, the Dance of the Heavenly Maidens is so
beautifully portrayed that one feels as though an angel is actually
dancing upon the stage.
Kutiyattam
About
Kutiyattam
Kutiyattam is
the oldest surviving Sansktir theatre tradition of India. This unique art form
of Kerala has a highly stylized and complex theatre language replete
with traditional hand gestures and facial expressions.
Synopsis
of the Play
KUTIYATTAM: Vikromorvasheeyam
The celestial
dancer, Urvashi and her friend Chitralekha are kidnapped by the demon,
Kesi. King Puruvas saves them and Urvashi falls in love with him. Soon
after, while performing for the Gods, Urvashi utters her lover’s name
instead of ‘Vishnu’. Enraged, Sage Bharatha curses her that she no
longer can stay on in Heaven.
The
performance ends with the king yearning for Urvashi and finaly meeting
her.
The 4th Kamigata-mai Performance
About
Kamigata-mai
Drawing on
12th-century traditions established by courtesan dancers and singers at
banquets in Kyoto, and based
on the dancing traditions of Noh, Kabuki, and the Bunraku puppet
theatre, Kamigata-mai was born and developed in the 16th century in the
Kamigata area of Osaka,
Kyoto, and Kobe.
Kamigata-mai is also called jiuta-mai, because it is performed
to the accompaniment of jiuta (popular song sung by the
Kamigata people), the oldest form of shamisen music.
While Noh, Kyogen, and Bunraku are performed by males, Kamigata-mai was
developed mainly as a chamber art and was performed by courtesans in
small rooms to entertain special guests. As a chamber art, Kamigata-mai
exhibits a sharp contrast to world-famous Kabuki dances, which are put
on in large theatres to the accompaniment of nagauta orchestral
music.
Whereas Kabuki dances are more animated, vigorous and sometimes even
boisterous, Kamigata-mai is performed in a subdued, tranquil, and more
dignified way, giving major importance to the external expression of
one’s innermost sentiments.
Synopses
of the Dances
Jiuta “YASHIMA” (Yashima)
(about 15 min)
The
dance is based upon the Noh play also titled Yashima. In it a
single dancer tries to capture the essence of the ancient battle that
took place at Yashima.
One spring day, a traveling priest visits the site of the old battle at
Yashima located next to a beautiful beach with the crystal blue sea on
one side and rising mountains on the other. It was here that the Heike
and Genji clans fought for supremacy.
The story unfolds with the priest meeting the ghost of the Genji
general, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, who recounts his battles with the
enemy warriors. All through the night, he narrates of his great courage
and bravery in the battle and his finally victory over his foes, and as
the day dawns the ghost fades away.
Among Kamigata-mai, it is one of the most strenuous and active dance
performances.
Jiuta “YUKI” (Snow)
(about 20 min.)
Yuki
is one of the most popular jiuta dances.
It depicts the tranquil mind of a nun and her sad psyche before
becoming a nun.
The text tells the story of a Buddhist nun who has lived in a nunnery,
apart from the world, ever since she was disappointed being in love
while she was a young courtesan.
The piece beautifully depicts the serenity of the mind of the woman, as
the tolling of a temple bell in the snow reminds her of her past
sorrows.
The instrumental interlude (ai-no-te) is used here to express
the quiet tolling of a distant temple bell on a snowy evening and has
become so popular that its melancholic melody is often used in other
dances as a kind of theme to suggest a snowy scene or the call for a
cold, dark atmosphere.
Tokyo, November 29, 2004
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