Ayatsuri Sambaso
- Japanese Marionette -

AYATSURI SAMBASO
(Marionette Sambaso:Nishikawa Senrisuke / Puppeteer:Nishikawa Senshinnosuke)

The Sambaso is one of the most important ceremonial dances in the Kabuki theater. It originally comes from the ritual dance Okina in the classical Noh theater and with vigorous stamping and shaking of bells, it is a prayer for agricultural prosperity. In the Kabuki theater, the Sambaso used to be performed early in the morning as an opening ritual, and in turn, there are many more theatrical versions of the Sambaso dance that appeared as part of the regular program.

In this version of the dance, the performer imitates a stringed marionette doing the Sambaso dance with another performer appearing as the puppeteer.

- From the pamphlet of "The Nishikawa School of Japanese Classical Dance Nihon Buyo in its San Francisco Premiere Performance" -


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