Traditional Japanese dance

Old photograph of women doing traditional Japanese dance. Photo of Kusakabe Kimbei.

Traditional Japanese dance refers to the different artistic expressions of dance performed in that country. It is divided into two main forms: odori (踊 り, 'odori'), originating in the Edo period; and the mai (舞, 'mai'), developed in the western part of Japan. The odori developed outside the theatrical stage kabuki and is oriented more to the masculine feelings; while the mai is developed in the rooms instead of the stage, and was influenced by the theater nō.

There is a variant of the mai called kyomai or dance of the Kyoto style. It developed in the Tokugawa era during the seventeenth century and has a strong influence on the sophistication and glamor of the habits of the Imperial Court of Kyoto.

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