by Rebecca Copeland | Sep 27, 2023 | Japanese Culture
Part Three: The Dancers’ Practice Session “We practice at the Kokin-en. It’s close to the Funaoka Onsen,” my friend instructed. Funaoka Onsen is well known in Northwest Kyoto. Many consider it the best public bath in the city. The name “onsen” means hot spring. But,... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Sep 13, 2023 | Japanese Culture
Part Two: The Choreographer and the Secret Lessons I can’t tell you her name. I promised to keep her Nihon buyō lessons confidential. That sounds odd, I suppose. It’s not as if she is stealing secrets or trying to profit off the hard work of others. The lessons she... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Aug 30, 2023 | Japanese Culture
Part One: The Tragedy of the Maiden Scorned I’m not a theater professional. But I love teaching about Japan’s classic theaters—Noh, Kabuki, and Bunraku. One tale among all others captures students’ imagination, “The Maiden of Dōjōji,” a story of monstrous... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Aug 12, 2020 | Japanese Culture
The word for traditional dance in Japanese, buyō 舞踊、combines the character mai, 舞, with that of odori, 踊, and suggests the syncretic nature of the art form. Whereas dance has been omnipresent in Japan since the beginning of time, the word buyō is a relatively modern...
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