Dance Magistrate - Dance Bugyo

In the 16th century, young men (minor boys) who served the court performed dances in splendid costumes at banquets to entertain the Ming Dynasty's investiture envoys who came to Ryukyu to invest the new king, and in the 17th century, children also performed group dances. The banquets to entertain the investiture envoys were the largest events at the court, and it was customary for a dance magistrate to be selected from among the high-ranking officials to plan and create the songs and dances to be performed at the banquet, with preparations and practice beginning several years in advance. In 1719, when Tamagusuku Chokun (1684-1734) was selected as dance magistrate at the time of the investiture of King Sho Kei, he created and performed a song and dance drama called Kumiodori, which told a story with songs and lines accompanied by the sanshin, instead of the traditional dance. This gained a good reputation, and Kumiodori was created for successive generations thereafter, but he also choreographed a dance to the accompaniment of sanshin songs, laying the foundation for later court dance.

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "Yakubugyo" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…　舞踊は16世紀ころ，宮廷奉仕の若衆（わかしゆ）(未成年男児)が新国王の冊封に来琉する明国の冊封使を饗応する宴席で，華麗な扮装で踊りを披露し，17世紀にも童児の群舞が行われた。冊封使饗応の宴は宮廷最大の行事で，宴に披露する歌舞を企画･制作するのに高官の中から躍（おどり）奉行を選び，数年前から準備，稽古に入る慣行であったが，1719年，尚敬王冊封のときに躍奉行に選ばれた玉城朝薫（たまぐすくちようくん）(1684‐1734)は，従来の舞踊にかえて，三線を伴奏にしながら歌とせりふで物語を展開する組踊と称する歌舞劇を創作して上演した。これが評判をえて，以後組踊が歴代創作されるようになったが，また彼は三線歌曲を伴奏にした舞踊を振付けし，のちの宮廷舞踊の基礎を固めた。…

※「躍奉行」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

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