KUNICHIKA (1835-1900)

Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Sagi Musume
Signed: Kunichika hitsu
Series: 100 Roles of Danjuro IX
Publisher: Fukuda Kumajiro
1898/3

Very good impression and colors. Album backing. Mica and gaufrage effects.

One of todays best loved dance / transformation plays. Originally staged in 1762, the version performed today is based on the performance done by Danjuro IX in May 1886. The set is a frozen pond in the middle of winter. The music is the classic sound effect for falling snow. The spirit of the heron appears on a platform, dressed in white, solitary and silent. This dance is a series of transformations, done through costume changes. The first change turns the dancer into a young maiden in love, dressed in a beautiful red kimono, who dances the joy of love in a lively atmosphere. Her love is a short one and the next section of the dance is no longer about happiness but sadness and jealousy. The dance gets darker and the final change brings back the spirit of the heron, who frantically dances, depicting the torments of hell and pleading for pity. The highlight of this section is an ebizori pose. Then the heron maiden collapses on stage, bringing the dance to a close