The night before we all departed for Beijing, everyone at the center was treated to a performance at the Kyoto Theater thanks to the generosity of the Bing Family (once again).
We saw Bando Tamasaburo's "Amaterasu" with special guest Kodo. Amaterasu is the sun goddess who was classically considered to be the ancestor of the Japanese imperial family (prior to the end of WWII, that is, when the emperor was redefined as a mortal figurehead).
Bando Tamasaburo is the most famous kabuki actor in Japan. Kabuki is an all-male traditional Japanese theater form - and Tamasaburo plays female roles. As Amaterasu, he was decked out in a long flowing white kimono with sparkly things all over that caught the light. His (her?) movements were incredibly smooth - it really was a marvel to watch. Amaterasu's subtle, soft movements were a bit out of place however when the Kodo taiko group went to play several encore numbers and all she could do was rotate back and forth and wave her hands like Ms. Ivar's aboard the acres of clams parade float.
Kodo is one of the most famous and internationally recognized taiko (Japanese drum) groups out there. The performance was one part taiko and one part kabuki theater - telling the story of Amaterasu's rivalry with her brother Susano (the storm god). A fight with her brother Susano causes Amaterasu to hide in a cave and plunge the world into darkness. At the end of the play, she is drawn out of her cave and light is restored to the world. That's the Amaterasu story in a nut shell.
The taiko was absolutely great! I am a huge fan of taiko. There were points where they had 15 to 20 different drums of all size on stage. We were sitting in the back of the balcony, but even so, you could still feel the vibrations. The physical strength needed to beat on these drums while jumping and doing martial arts-style gymnastics must be astronomical. One section had five guys lying on the floor doing situps to reach their drums.
All in all, what a great experience!
B.E.W.
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