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How did Noh develop from dengaku and sarugaku performances?
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Japanese performing arts
Bugaku, a court dance adapted to Japanese tastes from the dance and music of 8th-century China and Korea.
Noh emerged as a distinctive theatrical form in the 14th century through the synthesis of several traditional Japanese performing arts. Its development was primarily driven by the integration of sarugaku and dengaku with other performance elements.12
- Sarugaku: Originally a popular entertainment featuring acrobatics, mime, juggling, and music, sarugaku troupes were often attached to temples and shrines. By the 14th century, these troupes began performing short plays that combined dialogue, mimicry, singing, and dancing.32
- Dengaku: Historically a ritual associated with rice planting and harvesting, dengaku evolved into a courtly dance by the 14th century, contributing its rhythmic drumming and dance elements to the developing Noh style.32
- The Role of Kan’ami and Zeami: The actor Kan’ami revolutionized the art by incorporating kuse-mai—a chanted story dance—into his sarugaku plays, creating a form capable of sustained dramatic narrative. His son, Zeami, further refined these performances, establishing the fundamental principles of Noh, including the aesthetic of yūgen (subtle, profound beauty).321