Classical Japanese Dance: The Yamazaki Method™

Learn to Dance "Nihonbashi Bridge in the City of Edo"

What you'll learn

You will learn "Nihonbashi Bridge in the City of Edo," the first dance taught in The Yamazaki Method™ of Classical Japanese Dance ("CJD") /Nihon Buyō

Through learning the dance "Nihonbashi Bridge in the City of Edo," you will learn the most fundamental of the fundamental technique of CJD/Nihon Buyō

Specifically, you will learn how to use your feet, ankles, koshi (pelvis), hands, wrists, fingers, eyes, and chin in CJD.

You will learn how to teach CJD if you are a teacher or want to become a teacher of CJD.

Requirements

No prior experience is necessary.

Set aside a time and space to practice, preferably every day, even for five minutes.

Wear comfortable clothing and a pair of socks. You can wear a kimono or yukata if you have one.

Description

Nihonbashi Bridge in the City of Edo (Oedo Nihonbashi) is one of the first dances I teach my beginning students. The choreography utilizes techniques introduced in the courses on Fundamental Technique of Classical Japanese Dance (coming soon), so taking all these courses together will give you a solid foundation.The song depicts the fifty-three stations along the Tōkaidō highway between Edo and Kyoto. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Nihonbashi bridge was the starting point of all the major roads radiating from Edo into various regions of Japan. People traveled on foot, and it took them over two weeks to go from Edo to Kyoto. Therefore, I like to think of this dance as the starting point of the long journey you are about to begin in learning Classical Japanese Dance.This dance is versatile and suitable for anyone, regardless of age and gender. In this course, I demonstrate the dance in three different gender and age expressions: (1) neutral, (2) man/boy, and (3) young girl. If you are a beginner student, start with the neutral expression and gradually experiment with other variations. Furthermore, you can dance each style with a sensu (“fan” for dancing) or without. This dance may be performed as a solo, duet, trio, or group dance.

Overview

Section 1: Watch My Demonstration - Basic Version

Section 2: First Verse - Nihonbashi Bridge in the City of Edo

Lecture 2 Instructions - First Verse

Lecture 3 Practice with the Music

Section 3: Second Verse - Nihonbashi Bridge in the City of Edo

Lecture 4 Instructions - Second Verse

Lecture 5 Practice with the Music

Section 4: Third Verse - Nihonbashi Bridge in the City of Edo

Lecture 6 Instructions - Third Verse

Lecture 7 Practice with the Music

Section 5: From the Beginning to the End - Nihonbashi Bridge in the City of Edo

Lecture 8 Instructions - From the Beginning to the End

Lecture 9 Practice with the Music

Section 6: Dance with a Sensu

Lecture 10 Practice with the Music

Section 7: Watch My Demonstrations - More Variations

Lecture 11 Demonstration 3

Lecture 12 Demonstration 4

Section 8: Resources

Lecture 13 About This Dance

Lecture 14 Costume, Sensu, and Music

Lecture 15 Bonus Section

Complete beginners and first-time learners,Intermediate learners who want to refresh their skills,Advanced learners and teachers who want to learn how to teach Classical Japanese Dance,Men, women, and others,Adults and children; children under ten may require an adult's help,School teachers who want to incorporate Japanese dance into their classroom activities