コンテンツにスキップ
arttraditional culture

A new Kyogen piece “Rokujizo” that I worked on with the children

子ども達と一緒に取り組んだ新作狂言「六地蔵」

A cypress stage for Kyogen artists living in the 21st century
Vol.10 “Rokujizo” Workshop
Ozo doctrine (Noh performer Kyogen style Ozo school)

The sea and mountains can be seen from the gymnasium.
I was working on a new Kyogen piece with the children in a wonderful location.

This time's theme is to turn local stories into Kyogen. The theme was ``Roku Jizo''.
It's a simple story about a long time ago when children who were asked to pray for rain by a lord accidentally poured water on a Jizo statue and it rained.
So, I added a little dramatization to the story, and ended up with a very Kyogen-like ending: ``When the children were dancing to pray for rain, the Jizo was dragged along and started dancing.''

First, we give them a script and practice their vocalizations and movements.
The children were nervous at first, but little by little they got used to it and relaxed. As a result, little by little, the child who had no voice (he can speak a lot, but can't do it in front of people) was able to do it, started smiling more, and was able to memorize his lines well.

Next is the movement as Kyogen.
All Kyogen performances have a fixed pattern. It is important to hone what your teacher taught you as a skill.
Here I stopped.
When working on a ``new work'' with children, is it important to start from a set ``form''? Considering that time is limited, this may actually be a hindrance. In order to stimulate children's sensibilities, what is necessary is to create things with free ideas, without being bound by "forms."

Feeling this way, I allowed the children to freely decide on the pose and expression of the Jizo. We want them to have independence and creativity, and let them move the way they want to move. We organize them into ``kata'' and teach them.
What is important for children is not to tell them what is right or wrong, but to listen to the ideas they come up with, acknowledge them, and guide them.

I think the children felt the joy of being able to express the movements they had come up with as ``kata.'' The smiles and serious expressions on the children's faces when they stood on stage spoke volumes.
I received a lot of smiles and the three days we spent together were an irreplaceable time for me.

Related articles