New Dance - Shinbuyo

Japanese: 新舞踊 - しんぶよう

It is a general term for Japanese dance that aimed for a new direction different from the kabuki dance of the Edo period. Its origin was Shoyo Tsubouchi's "New Music Drama Theory" in 1904 (Meiji 37), a dance reform theory that idealized music dramas like those of Wagner. His argument was to change the narrow-mindedness and pleasure-loving nature of kabuki dance concepts and subjects, as well as the absurd aspects, and to create poetic and artistic works. In an attempt to put this theory into practice, he released the long work "Shinkyoku Urashima," but it was too large-scale and unsuitable for live performance. Recognizing this difficulty, he released "Onatsumonogurai (Onatsu Kyoran)" in 1908 (premiered in 1914) as "a way to use my dance drama in the transitional period." Next, during the Meiji period, he wrote over ten small-scale works, including "Kanzan Jittoku" and "Oshichi Kichisa" (both first performed in 1911).

In the Taisho period, a series of activities arose in response to Shoyo's ideas. First, in 1917 (Taisho 6), Fujima Shizue (the first Fujikage Shizue, later Seiju) founded the "Toin Society" and published works such as "Asajigayado" (1920) and "Shibon" (1921). Then, Hanayagi Tokuji (Gojo Tamami) breathed fresh air into the genre with "Oshimu Haru" (1919). In 1921, Umemoto Rikuhei (1896-1985) performed the first lyrics-free piece, "From Spring to Autumn," accompanied by Western music, at Takarazuka, and in the Kabuki world, Ichikawa Ennosuke II (Saruo) performed "Mushi." The following year, Onoe Eizaburo VII (1900-1926) started the "Toei-kai" and Nakamura Fukusuke V started the "Hagoromo-kai." It is noteworthy that the performance of "The Dying Swan" by Anna Pavlova, a master of the Russian Ballet Company, that came that year raised the enthusiasm for and stimulated the new dance movement. In 1924, Hanayagi Jusuke II (Juou) established the "Hanayagi Dance Research Society," allowing his students to use choreography, which had previously been the privilege of the head of the school, and aiming to create works suitable for the new era.

Entering the Showa era, Gojo Tamami founded the "Tamami-kai" in 1930 (Showa 5). In the same year, many women's activities were started at the same time, including Hanayagi Sumi's "Akebono-kai," Fujima Harue's (Azuma Tokuho) "Shunto-kai," Fujima Kansuga's (Kansoga, 1910-2000) "Motome-kai," and Nishizaki Midori's "Wakaba-kai." These traditions were interrupted during the Second World War, but after the war Nishizaki Midori, Fujikage Miyoe (the second Shizue, Shizukame), Azuma Tokuho, Nishikawa Koisaburo and others started them one after another, and the tradition was continued by Takehara Han, Hanayagi Tokubei, Kinnosuke (Juraku, 1918-2007), Yukou (1924-1971), Yoshimura Yuki, Hanayagi Teruna (1929-2005), Toshinami (1924-2018), Shigeka (1926-2016), Kan (Yojiro), Izumi Tokuemon (1924-1991), Nishikawa Senzo, Hanayagi Sueyuki (1925- ) and others, and this style developed further. The following generation, including Tachibana Yoshie (1941-) and Onoe Kikunojo II, also continued to perform, and it continues to this day. After the war, it became common to call it creative dance. Meanwhile, in recent years, dance for popular entertainment, mainly performed by amateurs to popular songs and enka, has become very popular, and this has come to be called shin buyo. As this is easily confused with the original shin buyo, which is noted in dance history, there are growing calls for a clearer distinction to be made.

[Kisaragi Aoko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

江戸時代の歌舞伎(かぶき)舞踊とは異なる新しい方向を目ざした日本舞踊を総称していう。その源となったのは、坪内逍遙(しょうよう)が1904年（明治37）に唱えた「新楽劇論」で、ワーグナーのような楽劇を理想とする舞踊改革論であった。歌舞伎舞踊の構想、題材が偏狭で遊里趣味に傾きがちなことや、荒唐無稽(こうとうむけい)な点を改め、詩的で芸術的な作品を生もうという主張である。彼はこの理論を実践しようと長編の『新曲浦島』を発表したが、大規模すぎ、実演には不向きであった。この難を認めた彼は、「過渡期における我が舞踊劇の当用に供せん」として1908年に『お夏物狂い（お夏狂乱）』を発表（初演は1914）した。続いて明治期に『寒山拾得(かんざんじっとく)』『お七吉三(しちきちさ)』（初演はともに1911）などの小規模な作品を10余編記した。

　大正期になり、逍遙の主張に呼応する活動が続々とおこった。まず1917年（大正6）に藤間静枝(ふじましずえ)（初世藤蔭(ふじかげ)静枝、後の静樹(せいじゅ)）が「藤蔭(とういん)会」を結成して、『浅茅ヶ宿(あさじがやど)』（1920）、『思凡(しぼん)』（1921）などを発表、そして花柳徳次(はなやぎとくじ)（五條珠実(ごじょうたまみ)）が『惜(お)しむ春』（1919）で新風を吹き込んだ。1921年には楳茂都陸平(うめもとりくへい)（1896―1985）が宝塚で初の洋楽伴奏による無歌詞の『春から秋へ』を、歌舞伎界でも2世市川猿之助（猿翁）が『虫』を上演。翌年には7世尾上(おのえ)栄三郎（1900―1926）の「踏影(とうえい)会」、5世中村福助の「羽衣会」が始まった。この年来演したロシア・バレエ団の名手アンナ・パブロワの『瀕死(ひんし)の白鳥』が人々の新舞踊運動の熱を高め、刺激したことが注目される。1924年には2世花柳寿輔(じゅすけ)（寿応(じゅおう)）が「花柳舞踊研究会」を発足させ、家元だけの特権とされていた振付けを門下にも許し、新時代にふさわしい作品を目ざした。

　昭和に入り、1930年（昭和5）に五條珠実が「珠実会」を結成。花柳寿美(すみ)の「曙(あけぼの)会」、藤間春枝（吾妻徳穂(あづまとくほ)）の「春藤(しゅんとう)会」、藤間勘素娥(かんそが)（観素娥、1910―2000）の「茂登女(もとめ)会」、西崎緑の「若葉会」など女性による活動がこの年一斉にスタート。これらは第二次世界大戦で中断したが、戦後西崎緑、藤蔭美代枝（2世静枝、静亀）、吾妻徳穂、西川鯉三郎らが次々と始め、その流れは武原はん・花柳徳兵衛(とくべえ)・錦之輔(きんのすけ)（寿楽(じゅらく)、1918―2007）・有洸(ゆうこう)（1924―1971）・吉村雄輝(ゆうき)・花柳照奈(てるな)（1929―2005）・寿南海(としなみ)（1924―2018）・茂香(しげか)（1926―2016）・寛（芳次郎）・泉徳右衛門（1924―1991）・西川扇蔵(せんぞう)・花柳寿恵幸(すえゆき)（1925―　）らの創作活動につながり、発展していった。続く世代の橘芳慧(よしえ)（1941―　）、2世尾上菊之丞たちも発表を続け、今日に至っている。戦後は創作舞踊とよぶのが一般的となった。一方、近年歌謡曲や演歌等を中心にアマチュアが踊る大衆娯楽の舞踊が大流行し、これを新舞踊とよぶようになっている。舞踊史上に特記される本来の新舞踊とまぎらわしく、区別を明らかにすべきだという声が高まっている。

［如月青子］