Tamasaburo bando biography of williams
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In 1975, he collaborated with the shimpa (new school) in Kyoka Izumi’s Keiko Ogi co-starring Yaeko Mizutani I, and played the role of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the following year. The performance has been filmed and released in video/DVD.
January 1997: Tamasabur� plays for the first time the prestigious role of the courtesan Akoya in the play "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki", which is revived in its full length at the National Theatre [casting].
June 2000: first edition of a special show in Ky�to at the Minamiza for the duo made of Band� Tamasabur� and Ichikawa Shinnosuke.
The two populars actors play together in the dance "Iro Moy� Chotto Karimame".
February 2001: Tamasabur� plays for the first time the bombastic role of Tomoe Gozen in the parody "Onna Shibaraku".
October 2001: Tamasabur� plays the roles of the courtesan Y�giri and the nurse Masaoka in the plays "Yoshidaya" and "Meiboku Sendai Hagi", which are performed at the Kabukiza.
By the 1990s, collaborations expanded his approach, incorporating greater physicality while preserving kabuki's core.[29][6]His technical prowess stems from intensive training under key predecessors, beginning at age six as an apprentice to Morita Kan’ya XIV, whose every gesture Tamasaburō meticulously observed and emulated to internalize onnagata fundamentals.[30] Until his early twenties, he underwent multifaceted instruction in dance, shamisen, puppet theater narration, teaceremony, flower arrangement, and piano, broadening his expressive palette and grounding his style in multifaceted artistic discipline.[10]Tamasaburō has personally refined these elements through the shuhari principle—mastering conventions (shu), breaking them to explore deeper principles (ha), and transcending them with innovation (ri)—all while remaining anchored to Kabuki's core traditions.[10] This approach has deepened the emotional layers in his movements, allowing him to infuse roles with profound psychological nuance, as evidenced by his study of literature and cross-cultural adaptations that enhance the humanity of female portrayals.[31]
Innovations and Preservation of Kabuki Traditions
Bandō Tamasaburō V has played a pivotal role in preserving Kabuki's lineage by upholding the traditional guild system and mentoring the next generation of performers.In 1986, Tamasaburō performed in Paris as part of the Grand Kabuki Tour, where he and fellow actor Kataoka Takao presented the classic piece Narukami, introducing audiences to the nuanced elegance of onnagata performance.[6][2] Subsequent European engagements followed, including collaborations in Paris in 1988 with choreographer Maurice Béjart in Gaîté Parisienne, a 1989 Grand Kabuki Tour for the Europalia festival across multiple European cities, and a 1991 tour in London.[6] These outings emphasized the adaptability of Kabuki traditions, blending them with Western theatrical elements to broaden cultural exchange.[2]Tamasaburō's international collaborations extended beyond traditional Kabuki, fostering innovative cross-cultural dialogues.
He also brought his Kabuki sensibility to traditional Chinese kunqu theatre, directing and starring in a production of Mudanting (“The Peony Pavilion”) at the Shanghai International Arts Festival in 2009. Most recently, he went to China to participate in the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater in Jiangsu Province, playing the lead role in their Kunqu opera, The Peony Pavilion, in Beijing in 2008.
Since that time, he has established his position as tate oyama by taking on the personae of Masaoka in Meiboku Sendai Hagi (The Disputed Succession), Sadaka in Imoseyama Onna Teikin Yama no Dan (The Mountain Scene from The Teachings for Women), and Tonase in Kanadehon Chushingura (The Treasury of the Forty-Seven Loyal Retainers).
The following year he captured the spotlight for his performance as Omiwa in Imoseyama Onna Teikin Goten (At the Palace on Mount Mikasa from The Teachings for Women). Tamasaburō, who had been honoured with many awards during his lengthy career, in 2011 received the prestigious Kyoto Prize for his contributions to the arts."
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"October 1996: Yo-Yo Ma and Tamasaburō combine talents to create an emotionally charged dance to J.S.
Bach's "Suite No. 5 for Unaccompanied Cello", which is performed at the Suntory Hall in Tōkyō. He made his stage debut under the name Bandō Kinoji in 1957, playing the role of Kotarō in the drama Terakoya (“The Temple School”). In 1996 he collaborated with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, performing Kabuki dance to the music of J.S. Bach, and in 1998 he danced alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov.
His stage partners in the roles of Seigen and Gonsuke are Ichikawa Ebiz� X and Kataoka Takao.
October 1977: Tamasabur� plays for the first time the difficult role of princess Yuki in the play "Kinkakuji", which is performed at the Shinbashi Enbuj�.
In fan manipulation, a hallmark of onnagata performance, Tamasaburō employs the sensu as an extension of his body, using fluid, rhythmic gestures to accentuate narrative moments and evoke femininity. In 1969, at age 19, he portrayed Princess Shiranui in Yukio Mishima's innovative Kabuki play Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki ("The Moon Like a Drawn Bow"), a role that highlighted his ethereal beauty and emotional depth, drawing praise from Mishima himself for revitalizing traditional forms with modern vitality.[6][5] Subsequent roles, such as Omiwa in Imoseyama Onna Teikin (1970) and Princess Taema in Narukami (1970), showcased his technical mastery and stage presence, often in collaboration with leading actors like Ichikawa Ennosuke II (later Ebizō), fostering the iconic "Ebi-Tama" partnership that captivated audiences.[2][5] By the early 1970s, Tamasaburō was widely recognized as a leading onnagata, with critics lauding his elegant, ivory-like delicacy in roles like Nishiki-no-Mae in Narukami Fudō (1967) and Shiragikumaru in Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshō (1967).[2][6]The death of Morita Kan'ya XIV on March 28, 1975, profoundly shaped Tamasaburō's independent trajectory, freeing him from the constraints of his adoptive father's traditional oversight and allowing greater artistic autonomy within Kabuki.[2][1] Just months later, in June 1975, he took on the demanding role of Princess Sakura in Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshō at the Shinbashi Enbujō, a performance that underscored his emergence as a standalone star and accelerated his prominence through the 1980s.[2] This period also saw him excel in classic onnagata parts like Masaoka in Meiboku Sendai Hagi and Akoya in Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki, further establishing his high-impact contributions to the genre's preservation and evolution.[6]
International Tours and Collaborations
Bandō Tamasaburō V's international presence began to expand significantly in the mid-1980s, as he participated in major tours that brought Kabuki's onnagata artistry to global audiences.Tamasabur�, who was born to come up to our expectations, is a young onnagata, whose elegance and delicacy call to mind the working of ivory, and is the living proof of the vitality of Kabuki" (Mishima Yukio, August 1970)
Band� Tamasabur� would be allowed to take the name of Morita Kan'ya XV but he said several times that he won't do it.
Through initiatives like the Japan Arts Council's international-focused training programs, he promotes Kabuki's techniques to young creators worldwide, enhancing its global reach and cultural relevance. First prominently featured in his repertoire during performances in 1992–1993, Yasuna remains an ongoing staple.[27][28]
Special Productions and Adaptations
Bandō Tamasaburō V participated in the 2001 BESETO Performing Arts Festival at the Kabukiza Theatre in Tokyo, a collaborative event highlighting entertainment traditions from Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo.[2] In this production, he performed the dance "Kane no Misaki," blending Kabuki elements with regional performing arts from China, Korea, and Japan to create a cross-cultural showcase that preserved core techniques while introducing innovative intercultural dialogue.[2] The festival emphasized harmony among East Asian traditions, with Tamasaburō's graceful onnagata style serving as a bridge between classical Japanese forms and the dynamic expressions of neighboring cultures.[2]In 1993, Tamasaburō starred in the Kabuki-za premiere of Sangoku Denrai Genjō Banashi, a joint work specially written for him by author Baku Yumemakura, incorporating new narratives inspired by historical tales from the Three Kingdoms era while adhering to Kabuki's foundational techniques of mie poses and rhythmic speech patterns.[6] This production, paired with his performance of the classic dance Yōkihi, exemplified innovative storytelling that refreshed traditional forms for modern audiences, blending supernatural elements with precise onnagata expression to explore themes of turmoil and resilience.[6] The collaboration marked a significant effort to evolve Kabuki by integrating contemporary literary influences, ensuring the art form's relevance through preserved stylistic authenticity.[6]Artistic Style and Contributions
Mastery of Onnagata Technique
Bandō Tamasaburō V is renowned for his exceptional command of onnagata techniques, which form the foundation of portraying female characters in Kabuki theater with unparalleled grace and authenticity.In 1984, he was invited to represent Japan in the Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala, sharing the spotlight with such stellar performers as chanson singer Yves Montand, ballet dancers Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, and opera singer Plácido Domingo. In 2025, he premiered a new production at Kabukiza Theatre, further demonstrating his ongoing role in evolving kabuki traditions.[4]Tamasaburō's advocacy for Kabuki's accessibility extends to educational outreach and public exhibitions that demystify the art form for broader audiences.
Other notable roles from that period include Princess Taema in Narukami (1970; “The Thunder God”) and Princess Nowake in Sumidagawa gonichi no omokage (1971; “Memories of the Sumida River”). His commitment to this preservation is evident in his personal mentorship of younger actors, such as guiding Kenshō Yamamoto through rigorous training in the shu phase of the shuhari doctrine, which emphasizes imitation and discipline to internalize classical techniques.
In 1981, he appeared in Curlew River, an opera written by Benjamin Britten based on the Noh play Sumida-gawa (The Sumida River).