Kuromori Kagura
Folk Music & Dance from Tohoku

October 28, 2012
past event image
Performance past event

Running time: 90 minutes

Experience a centuries-old folk music and dance tradition from northern Japan that even the ferocious earthquake and tsunami of 3/11 could not destroy. Hailing from Tohoku, a region often referred to as a "treasure chest" of folk arts, the practice of Kuromori Kagura, which represents a display of appreciation to the gods of Shintoism, can be traced back to the 17th century when it began in honor of the divine spirit of the Kuromori Shrine in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture. Designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset by the Japanese government, the group will perform a selection of dances from their vast repertoire which includes furious jumps, brisk turns and whimsical moves accompanied by percussion and fue (Japanese flute), revealing a whole new dimension of Japan’s traditional performing arts.

Pre-performance Lecture led by William Lee, Associate Professor and Director, Asian Studies Centre, University of Manitoba. William Lee received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from McGill University in Montreal with a dissertation on kabuki. He taught for several years in Akita, Japan, where he also performed with a local kagura troupe. He is currently working on a book on the folk performance genre of kagura. One hour before each performance, free to ticket holders.

Video: 5 Things You Need to Know About Kuromori Kagura

TICKETS
$32/$25 Japan Society members.

Saturday, October 27 performance is followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception.

Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.

The four-city tour of Kuromori Kagura also includes:
Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT), Thursday, November 1
Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA),  Friday, November 2
Towson University (Towson, MD), Saturday, November 3

This four-city American tour of Kuromori Kagura is produced and organized by Japan Society, and is supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in the fiscal year 2012, The Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN program, and The Asahi Shimbun Foundation. The regional tour of Kuromori Kagura is made possible by a grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support for the New York engagement is provided by Dr. Stephen and Michiko Levine, and Mitsubishi UFJ Foundation.

Special thanks to the TOMODACHI Initiative and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception support is provided by MetLife Foundation.

  • Sunday, October 28, 2012
  • 5:30 pm