Kenshibu (剣詩舞, meaning 'sword and poetry dancing') is a category of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

interpretive dance Interpretive dance is a family of modern dance styles that began around 1900 with Isadora Duncan. It used classical concert music but marked a departure from traditional concert dance. It seeks to translate human emotions, conditions, situations o ...

s performed to traditional

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

accompanied by poetry known as ''

shigin is a performance of reciting a Japanese poem or a Chinese poem read in Japanese, each poem ( ''shi'') usually chanted ( ''gin'') by an individual or in a group. Reciting can be done loudly before a large audience, softly to a few friends, or ...

'' (詩吟). Kenbu refers to dances performed with the aid of a

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

, and shibu to dances performed with one or more

fans Fan commonly refers to: * Fan (machine), a machine for producing airflow, often used for cooling ** Hand fan, an implement held and waved by hand to move air for cooling * Fan (person), short for fanatic; an enthusiast or supporter, especially wit ...

. While fans may also be employed in some kenbu dances, not all require them.

History

Although Japanese kenbu existed since the

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

and Heian periods (794-1185) of Japanese history, and exist in Shura

Nogaku is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

, the modern kenshibu is an invention of the post- Meiji era (1868). Kenshibu draws its origins from the Gekken Kaisha (撃剣会社, lit. 'fencing company') created by Sakakibara Kenkichi (榊原健吉) in 1872. The Gekken Kaisha toured Japan, engaging in 'fencing performances' (撃剣興行, ''gekken kougyou'') which quickly became popular.Deborah Klens-Bigman
''The Fan and the Sword: Exploring Kenbu''
/ref> Many modern schools of kenbu derive from other traditions, but Sakakibara's Gekken Kaisha was the first to explore the form. Following the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, swords were outlawed in Japan for a period of about seven years. During this time, kenbu schools adopted the use of fans instead of swords in their dances. After swords became legal once again, this new type of dancing was retained. Over time shibu has evolved into a style distinct from kenbu, with its dances set to poetry of a less martial character.

Kenbu

Kenbu (剣舞, occ. 剣武) is performed in ''

hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. Originally stemming from (), the trousers worn by members of the Chinese imperial court in the Sui and Tang dynasties, this style was adopted by the Japanese in the form of in the 6th centur ...

'' and ''kimono'', wearing ''

tabi are traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear such as zori, dating back to the 15th century. History Japanese are usually understood today to be a kind of split-toed sock that is not meant to be worn alone outdoors, much like r ...

'', a type of divided-toe socks. Various other items may be used in the costume, including ''

hachimaki A is a Japanese headband, usually made of red or white cloth, typically featuring a design of kanji at the front. It is worn as a symbol of effort or courage by the wearer, especially by those in the military, or to simply keep sweat off one's ...

'' (a headband used to keep the dancer's hair pulled back) and ''tasuki'' (a white cloth strip which ties the kimono sleeves out of the way). When these other items are used, a white cloth belt is traditionally worn over the hakama ties. This white belt was originally worn by ''

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

'' preparing to go into battle and served to reinforce the hakama ties so that, in the event they were cut, the samurai would not find himself with his pants suddenly heaped around his ankles.

Shibu

Shibu (詩舞) is also called ''senbu'' (扇舞), or fan dancing. It is also performed in hakama and kimono, though in some cases hakama may be rejected in favor of longer

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...

. Some performances also involve steeply-pointed straw hats which conceal the performers' faces.

References

Dances of Japan {{Japan-culture-stub ja:剣舞