The Art Research Center (ARC) is pleased to announce that a special video of Mio no Kai (澪の会), which could not take place on September 7, 2020, has been released and will be available online until December 6, 2020.

Deleted due to the end of the publication period.

Please click here to watch the video PART 1.

Please click here to watch the video PART 2.

Please click here to watch the video PART 3.

Background

Kyomai refers to the Kyoto style of the Japanese traditional dance expressed by the Inoue school that is based in the geisha district of Gion, Kyoto. The Inoue style is the only dance form studied by the geiko (geisha) and maiko (apprentice geisha) in the center of Gion district, and it incorporates influences from the traditional Japanese noh dramas as well as joruri puppet theater performances.

With a history extending back to the Edo period (1603 to 1868), the Inoue style of kyomai has been passed from generation to generation by a succession of female dance artists. The current headmaster of the Inoue school is Yachiyo Inoue V, designated as a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government.

Mio no Kai (澪の会)

Mio no Kai (澪の会) was started as a study session by Yachiyo Inoue V in 1981 using the rehearsal hall in Shinmonzen, Kyoto.

As it is a rare and sophisticated dance performance by the headmaster of the Inoue school, Yachiyo Inoue V, this event has been widely known across Japan, attracting both the citizens of Kyoto as well as many people from the Kanto area.

Mio no Kai (澪の会) is usually held four times a year (April, June, September, and December). However, due to the impact of COVID-19, it has not taken place this year.

Therefore, we are even more pleased to share this video of Mio no Kai (澪の会) online for the people who were looking forward to the event and to provide an opportunity for a broader audience outside of Japan to watch the kyomai dance.

While the performance is usually held on a relatively small scale in the rehearsal hall in Kyoto with an audience limited to around 70 people, please take this unique opportunity to watch the performance from home.

The ARC's Involvement

Based on the agreement with the Katayama Family Foundation for the Preservation of Noh and Traditional Kyoto Dance, the Art Research Center has been in charge of the production (recording and editing) and distribution of this video.

Furthermore, master's students of Digital Humanities for Arts and Cultures, the Graduate School of Letters, Ritsumeikan University, have participated in this video production.

We sincerely hope that you will enjoy this video and spread the word to your friends and family.

Name of the group: Mio no Kai (澪の会)

京舞　　地歌「邯鄲」　井上八千代

Kyomai Jiuta「Kantan」 INOUE Yachiyo

京舞　　地歌「花の旅」　井上安寿子

Kyomai Jiuta「Hana no tabi」 INOUE Yasuko

* 地歌 Jiuta (song accompanied by shamisen)

「邯鄲」Kantan (Handan in English- name of a city in China)

「花の旅」Hana no tabi (The journey of the flowers)