Noh Training Projects Overseas: Traditional and Contemporary Transmission Techniques

• In Event: Scanning the Horizon: New Hopes for the Future of Noh Theatre

Abstract

Both Japanese and English-language noh are performed overseas, garnering the attention of non-Japanese people who desire to learn the art form. Those who cannot travel to Japan to learn noh can study the form through overseas noh programs, which provide a more accessible training ground. This presentation examines two noh training projects overseas: 1) Noh Training Project – Bloomsburg (U.S.), and 2) Noh Training Project – United Kingdom (UK). In specific, my research analyzes these programs through fieldwork (participant observation), exploring the types of teaching methods used to transmit the art form from teacher to student and evaluating their effectiveness.
I postulate that these programs use a combination of traditional Japanese oral transmission and Western teaching methods, especially when teaching dance by breaking it down into smaller units. The teachers, particularly those with Western training, tailors each lesson according to the students’ needs, answering questions even mid-dance, creating a favorable learning environment for those who are accustomed to Western training. As a result, many of these students faithfully return to the program. As the average age of noh audiences increases in Japan, noh professionals are faced with the challenge of bringing new people into the noh theatre. Often younger noh professionals perform rare or popular pieces together, or new noh are written about popular subjects to lure new audiences. I argue that Japanese noh professionals could attract and retain new students and audiences by employing the teaching techniques exemplified by these overseas programs, thus helping noh to survive.

Author

• Mariko Anno, Tokyo Institute of Technology