Something old, something new

‘Rokujo,’ a modern take on an ancient Japanese novel about female courtiers, is performed by an all-male cast of dancers.

By ORI J.LENKINSKI
'Rajuko' performance 390 (photo credit: Takao Sakai)
'Rajuko' performance 390
(photo credit: Takao Sakai)
When it comes to beauty, few cultures can compete with the striking aesthetics of Japan.
Traditional Japanese art forms, such as Noh theater, have been the source of inspiration for international artists for centuries. Despite the technological advances with which Japan is ablaze, several artists continue to honor and reinterpret the works of traditional Japanese masters. Choreographer Haruka Ueda is one of them.
This month, Ueda will present Rokujo at the Suzanne Dellal Center during a two-show engagement. The piece is Ueda’s take on Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu’s classic 11th-century novel The Tales of Genji.
Rokujo is a blend of dance and theater that opens a window into an exotic and mystifying world. Ueda has been known to draw inspiration from literature in the past, having staged his version of tales such as Mulan and King Lear.
In a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post, Ueda explained the forces that pulled him towards this particular text.
“The Tales of Genji is considered the masterpiece of masterpieces in the history of Japanese literature,” explains Ueda. “It is said to be the first story written by a woman. At the time of the story, in the aristocratic, maledominated society, women had to wait for their lovers or husbands to visit them. Naturally, women endeavored to keep the man’s affection. Lady Rokujo had a lot of pride, and she was older than Genji, which affected her as well. Her soul was so much in agony, that she became a sprit and tormented the young Yugao. I was attracted to the novelist’s description of women’s deep sorrows in the court life. She herself was a lady-in-waiting at the imperial court. And I am attracted to miyabi (elegance or refinement) that The Tales of Genji represents.”
With traditional material as his resources, Ueda opted to create his piece using another time-honored practice of all-male theater.
“The story has been adapted in many forms of art,” says Ueda. “It took me about three years to develop an idea of how to present the themer, and it came to my mind to do so by a unique Japanese method – onnagata (female roles performed by males),” he explains.
In fact, men play all the characters in Rokujo.
Although his background is in classic art forms, Ueda does not limit himself to one type of expression.
“The Japanese dance community has been subdivided and established on the basis of genres. I have removed such genres or borders before choosing dancers and artists for each particular work of mine,” he says.
Ueda comes from a long line of performers. His father was a master of puppet theater and often took him to observe the behind-thescenes aspect of the art form.
“I became especially interested in the world of kuroku in the puppet theater. They are the stage assistants dressed in black, who can also be found in Kabuki and Bunraku,” says Ueda.
His interest in theater propelled Ueda to seek out dance training under celebrated teacher Hideki Togi. As an adult, Ueda found himself drawn back into the studio as a director. For the past 30 years, Ueda has become one of the celebrated voices that have emerged from the Japanese dance community.
“I am interested in classical performing arts and Japanese literature,” he explains. “I would like to assimilate those sensitivities into my dance, and by fusing the elements I would like to introduce my dance to the world as a Japanese dance.”
Ueda’s invitation comes as part of the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ celebration of 60 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Israel. To mark this occasion, events have been held in Japan and in Israel since the beginning of the year.
Rokujo will be performed at the Suzanne Dellal Center on March 12 and 13. For tickets, visit www.suzannedellal.org.il or call (03) 510-5656.