Kabuki

In the country of Japan the art of Kabuki has been popular for centuries, dating back to the year 1603 when Izumo no Okuni started performing a new form of dance which was inspired by dramatic plays being written both by Japanese playwrights and which were being imported to the country through trade with the western world. Traditional Kabuki performances were highly dramatic and featured elaborate makeup and hairstyles for the actors and actresses. Usually the stories were tragic dramas told through interpretive dance numbers. Unlike other dramatic or dance forms currently available in Japan, Kabuki was a combination of artistry and entertainment. Originally, the Kabuki was performed primarily and in some cases entirely by women adding to its raucous reputation. Some disparaged the Kabuki theaters are referred to the actresses as "prostitute-singing and dancing performers." This dismissal and marginalization did nothing to dissuade people from attending performances; in...
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