Hello everyone!

We are Soke-Fujima school of Nihon-buyo.

Nihon-buyo is divided into various genres, from dances expressing the beauty of the four seasons in Japan, Japanese spirituality to Kabuki-buyo, that introduces elements of Kabuki and has stories such as “Fuji-musume” and “Dojoji.” However, in Japan today, the population of Nihon-buyo dancers is decreasing rapidly, so there are few people who teach and learn in such a wide range of genres.

Our Soke-Fujima school not only corresponds to that wide range of genres, but also has a deep connection to the genre of “Kabuki buyo.” Kabuki is a one of Japanese traditional entertainment and has a history of over 300 years. Kabuki is often composed of theater and dance parts, and the dance part came to be performed independently, and then became “Kabuki buyo.”

Just as there are choreographers and directors in ballet, Kabuki-buyo also has choreographers. The head of Soke-Fujima has been in that role of the choreographers

For 300 years and continues to develop it with Kabuki. Kabuki buyo has many entertainment charms of Kabuki, and there are many works that are exciting not only to see but also to dance.

The current head of Soke-Fujima, Kanjuro Fujima, is not only choreographer, but also a Nihon-buyo dancer and performs worldwide. He continues to convey the charm of Nihon-buyo and Kabuki buyo.

みなさんこんにちは

私たちは、宗家藤間流という日本舞踊の流派です。日本舞踊といっても、日本の四季の美しさや、日本人の精神性をイメージして踊るものや、有名な「藤娘」や「娘道成寺」のように歌舞伎の中で踊られる物語性やエンターテイメント性のある歌舞伎舞踊まで実は色々なジャンルがあります。

現在の日本では、残念ながら日本舞踊をする人口が減っていて、教える人も学ぶ人も少なくなってきました。

私達の宗家藤間流はその幅広ジャンルに対応しているのはもちろんのこと、特に「歌舞伎舞踊」に深いつながりを持っています。歌舞伎は 300 年以上の続く日本の伝統的な文化の一つです。歌舞伎はお芝居と踊りのパートで構成されていることが多く、特に踊りの部分は独立して上演されるようになり、後に「歌舞伎舞踊」と呼ばれるようになりました。

ダンスやバレエでもプレイヤーと演出家と分かれているように、「歌舞伎舞踊」にも振付師がいます。私たち流派の家元は、300 年前からその振付師として、歌舞伎の発展を支えています。

歌舞伎舞踊は、歌舞伎の持つエンターテイメント性の魅力を多く兼ね備えていて、見るだけでなく踊っていてもワクワクする作品が多いです。

現在の家元の八代目藤間勘十郎は振付だけなく、自らも舞踊家として国内外問わず舞台を行っており、日本舞踊、歌舞伎舞踊の持つ魅力を発信し続けています。

Kanjuro Fujima Ⅷ

Born in 1980, Kanjuro Fujima is Kabuki choreographer, creating the movement and staging of a Kabuki performance, and the current head of the Soke-Fujima school of Nihon-buyo. In 2002, he took over the title of Fujima Kanjuro VIII at the age of 22, and was awarded the New Artist Prize of the Minister of Education and Science Award

for the Arts the following year. His work of choreography has spread from the Kabuki field to operas and musicals including “Cho-Kabuki”, online Kabuki for young generations sponsored by Niconico-douga. He is also working on the training of the future generations in buyo. He has actively performed outside of Japan, including France in 2007 and Brazil in 2015 to promote the appeal of traditional Japanese performing arts both at home and abroad.

宗家藤間勘十郎

1980 年生まれ藤間勘十郎、歌舞伎振付師。宗家藤間流現宗家。2002 年、22 歳で八世を襲名、翌年に芸術選奨文部科学大臣賞新人賞を受賞。歌舞伎舞踊の振付以外にもオペラやニコニコ超歌舞伎などの舞台演出等、多方面で活躍。振付師として活動する一方で後進の育成にも力を入れる。また、２００７年のフランスや２０１５年のブラジルなどの積極的に海外公演を行い、日本伝統芸能の魅力を国内外に発信しています。

About soke-Fujima

Soke-Fujima is one of the five major schools in Nihon-buyo. It was established by Kanbei Fujima in the Edo Period and has a track record of over 300 years to date. Since Soke-Fujima has had a role as a Kabuki choreographer, Fujima’s ways of dancing have a similarity to Kabuki. Since Kanjuro Fujima VI (1900-1990) was highly evaluated by his contribution to Kabuki and his large number of choreographies, he was designated as “Living National Treasure”, individuals certified as Preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties. He positively introduced “Su-odori”, dancing without gorgeous costume or wig, which became the basis of Soke-Fujima’s style of buyo. Soke-Fujima continues to convey and develop both Kabuki-buyo and choreographies or methods of Kanjuro Fujima VI.

宗家藤間流について

宗家藤間流は、日本舞踊の五大流派の一つです。藤間勘兵衛が江戸時代に流派を成立して以来、今日まで300年以上の歴史があります。代々、歌舞伎の振付師であったことから、その踊り方には歌舞伎との強いつながりがあります。六世藤間勘十郎 (1900–1990)は歌舞伎の貢献や多くの振り付け作品を残したことが評価され、人間国宝に指定されました。彼は衣装や鬘を付けずに踊る「素踊り」を積極的に舞踊に取り入れ、今でも「素踊り」は宗家藤間流において根幹をなす踊りのスタイルです。宗家藤間流は歌舞伎舞踊と六世の作品や手法の両方を守り、発展させています。

Kanjurou FujimaⅧ activity’s to foreign

Kajuro Fujima VIII has actively performed Nihon-buyo and choreographed Kabuki outside of Japan. In 2013, he played an active role of connecting different cultures as an artistic director of “MAU; J-ASIAN DANCE COLLABORATION” which was performed by dancers from 5 Asian countries including Japan. When he trains dancers from overseas, he doesn’t rely only on verbal communication but tries to describe with bigger gestures than usual to let them understand choreography easily. With his efforts, dancers figure out visually how they move their body when they dance buyo and remember choreography.
There are two memorable moments for him when he taught buyo to foreigners. Firstly, when he taught buyo to the Indian dancer with good ear for music, Kanjuro was surprised because he mastered choreography of buyo and difficult Nagatuta (Japanese traditional music which accompanies Kabuki theater) within just a week. Secondly, when Kanjuro demonstrated buyo to French director who had never learned it before, he danced beautifully than Japanese actors. Kanjuro said he was impressed with their sharpened sense to buyo than Japanese. https://rikkyogeinokenkyu.wixsite.com/website 「危機の時代に日本舞踊を伝える」
https://www.wochikochi.jp/topstory/2014/02/mau.php 「アジア5か国の舞踊家たちが一つになった舞台~宗家藤間勘十郎「MAU」」

八世宗家と海外での取り組みについて
八世宗家藤間勘十郎は海外で自身の舞踊公演や歌舞伎の振付も積極的にしています。2013 年の「MAU 舞う:J-ASEAN DANCE COLLABORATION」では、日本を含めたアジア5カ国のダンサーたちの共演を芸術監督として監修し、異文化同士をつなぐ架け橋として活躍しました。外国人ダンサーに教えるときに心がけていたことは、最初は、言葉だけでなく身振り手振りをつけて相手に振りを分かりやすくすることだそうです。そうすることで舞踊の動き方を視覚的にも捉え次第に覚えていくと宗家はおっしゃっていました*1。

外国人に稽古をした時のことで印象に残っていることは、インド系のダンサーに稽古をした時で、彼は優れた音感を持っており、舞踊の振りや難しい「長唄」を一週間で覚えたことと、一度も日舞を習ったことのないフランス人演出家に教えたときに、彼が日本人よりも美しく踊ったことだそうで、日本人以上の舞踊に対する感覚の鋭さに驚かされたと語っていました*(引用元)
https://rikkyogeinokenkyu.wixsite.com/website 「危機の時代に日本舞踊を伝える」
*2https://www.wochikochi.jp/topstory/2014/02/mau.php 「アジア5か国の舞踊家たちが一つになった舞台~宗家藤間勘十郎「MAU」」