Noh Mai Beautiful Petal of Japan

 Japan a loving place, having splendid wings of  Culture and Tradition of Japan. Japan fly like colorful butterflies leave bundle of flowers behind it . I have pulled one flower that is illustrious and comely. Dainty moves of body , winsome music , world precious and amusing diamond that is sublimity for  Japan. "Noh Mai" a beautiful, traditional and graceful dance of Japan. Let's open pages of Japan's Cultural Dance Noh Mai. 


Noh Mai is first  originated in Japan in 13th century. The theoretical dance style was said  to have been created by the artist called Kanami and his son Zeami. According to tradition a non performance include the enacting of five especially written plays. Noh Mai is a conventional dance and performing art from which bring together poetry, acting and music to execute the audience. This traditionary dance form involves the telling of traditional tales found in Japanese literature. 




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Noh Mai is extremely classic in nature and has "codified and regulated" using and has been using a system known as "iemoto". Noh Mai dance is bacically perform by dancers on music that is made of flutes and small hand drums. Some time artists perform it at vocal and persussion music , these points are called Kuse and Kiri. Noh Mai dance are put together by a series of forms . Forms are pattern of body movements that are done geantly and with beauty.



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I have picked a flower from the cultural garden of Japan that is Noh Mai, so bloom your heart to know more about Noh Mai Petals.

There are different type of Noh Mai dance.

1- Neither  slow nor fast moves of dancers in the performance is called "Chu No Mai" basically female artist performs this type of dance.

2- Dances perform by dancers little bit slow is called"Jo No Mai". A female does the dance as wellcan dress up as either a ghost of a noblewoman, a sprit of deity.

3- A mail dance is "Otoko Mai". The performer does not wear a mask in the dance and is portraying the character as being heroic.

4- "Kani Mai" is also a male dance where the dancers at as though he is a deity. This is very fast dance. The female version is Kageera can be performed various ways.



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There are five type of exotic Noh Mai plays.

1- The first type is Kami ("god") play involves a scared story of a "Shinto Shrine".

2- Shura Mona ("fighting play") centre of worries, the third Katsura.

3- Mono ("wig Play") has a female protagonist.

4- Gendai Mono ("present day play") in which the story is contemporary and realistic rather than legendary and supernatural.

5- Kyojo Mono ("mad woman play") in which the protagonist becomes insane through the loss of a lover of child and the fifth type, the Kiri or Kichiku ("final" or "demon") play features devils, strange beasts, supernatural beings.






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A typical Noh Play is relatively short its dialogue is sparse serving as a mere frame for the movement and music. Noh dance is a prayer of devotee for the god . A way of message to god , happiness for the worriers, kites of real story and pain of a mad women due to lots of losses. Noh is the creativity of the artists, historical treasures and glorious art of the Japan.

Music of noh Mai is convectional combination of chorus (hayashi ) of four musician who play a flute (Nokan), small hand drum (Kotsuzumi) large hand drum. (o- tsuzumi) and by a chorus (Jiutai) consisting 8 to 10 singer. The recitation is one of the most important element of the performance.



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A big part of the magic you can see in the Costume style of Noh Mai. Costume of Noh Mai creates lots of Interest of the audience in the Noh mai dance. Noh costume is the lifeline in the glorious dance moves. The costume can tell to the audience to the audience a lot about the character. As there are number of set rules in Noh regarding combination of costume pieces. These rules and combination tell the gender, age,  social status, occupation, and personality of the character. In female costume if there is red it is said to be Iroiri. If there is not it is called Ironashi. Young women wear Iroiri costume middle and old age wear Ironashi. Another example of indicating character though costume would be through the use of the coller. The eri (coller) can be any number of colors including while light blue, red, dark blue or brown, white, yellow. Choosing how to arrange these colors around thee neck give the audience an idea of the characters social starter or inner feelings. As while it is the color of purity in Noh if character  is wearing two layer of white collars, this would indicate their being that highest level of purity of top.

A Karari is a fine example of an exquisite outer Kimono used in Noh to portray women characters. Karaori mean "Chinese style fabrics" This is short sleeves Kimono made using the UKI weaving technique employing gold, silver and other colored thread create gorgeous flower pattern. When a female character is introduced and she is wearing a Karaori, it is often times worn in a style called Kinagashi. In this style upper part is folded in such a way as to leave the neck open and the lower part is adjusted at the hem to create a triangular shape around the legs which give the impression of refinement. 




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In my post i have opened lots of pages of Noh Mai dance and shown  petals of beautiful cultural flower of Japan. Earth Culture Colors is having a unique colors in our buckets so keep follow and give their suggestions in comment section till then....

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