I guess this dancer is a new-comer Geiko just after having made Erikae, because she does not show so much exquisite dancing skill for expressing a kind of delicate intimate emotion of the heroine of this difficult song "Kurokami" (black hair).
Usually this dance is not for Maiko, but for mature women like as Geikos. But there in the Kyoto Kagai (pleasure districts like as Gion, Miyagawacho or so) is a traditional practice to let Maikos dance with this song "Kurokami (Black Hair)" only limited period of time in their apprenticeship, just for one week before "Erikae" (i.e. debuting to the qualified mature Geiko's world.)
I couldn't appreciate her dancing manner for this song "Kurokami", so I guessed, she is a new-comer Geiko and does not show much exquisite dancing skill for this kind of song which requires to express quite complicated woman's intimate emotions. I think Ms Elalmé may reach the same opinion if she compares with dancing manners of dancers like as any of "Natori Geikos" (i.e., Geiko who obtained a name of "master of arts of Inoueryu school") or famous big artists like as Tamasaburo or Han Takehara.
I apologize if I am asking questions with obvious answers, but how do you see that this woman is unskilled to perform this dance. I have been looking at a collection of traditional dances and she has so far done the best - please explain to me how you can tell? I appreciate your reply and help - Thank You
I'm of course not a specialist to criticize any of traditional japanese dancing skills on the stages, and I did not say this dancer have obtained much skills to dance correctly this kind of dance (i.e. Kurokami). She in fact dances as correctly as instructed by her teacher. But the Kurokami is one of the most difficult dance musics, so it is not sufficient to only correctly dance, dancer needs to express the intimate emotion of the woman who had to give up her former lover for another woman.
Yes, Ms Elamé is right. This dancer has done her best effort to dance correctly as instructed by her teacher. But she doesn't reach to get sufficient skill to express the complicated intimate emotion as requires this difficult song "Kurokami". She lacks experience in her life not only as Geiko but also as a mature woman. Kurokami is one of the most difficult songs to express in dance. You may agree with my opinion if you may compare her dance with manner of dancing by Tamasaburo or Han Takehara.
couldn't agree more. The emotion is so important! Her form is quite lovely still. I had chance to watch my senpai practice kurokami and it was very intense.
Not fair to compare her to Tamasaburo or Han Takehara tho because they belong to different schools, the dance has completely different choreography depending on the school. This geiko belongs to the Inoue school and their choreography makes it challenging to express emotion with due to the minute and minimal movements. Obviously it can be done but it is extremely difficult. I think she’s okay, not amazing but she’s far from awful. I don’t think she’s Natori so nobody should expect absolute mastery from her. I think Inoue Yachiyo herself said that dancers don’t really even get good until their 30s and that before that they can’t be expected to do much more than faithfully learn the movements.
Kurokami is the last dance they perform as maiko, they perform it for all of their clients over a 2 week period called sakkou. After sakkou they have their erikae and become geiko. As geiko it’s just another dance in their repertoire.
