More than forty years ago, I studied Noh theater in Japan as an apprentice of the Hōshō school, eventually becoming the first foreigner to perform at the National Noh Theater in Tokyo. Returning to Japan to study Noh after four decades was both a homecoming and a new beginning.

Over two weeks, we immersed ourselves in shimai dance and utai chanting. Learning three dances in such a short period was exhilarating, humbling, and challenging. Every movement, gesture, and moment of stillness demanded concentration and precision while bringing the seasonal imagery of the poetry and the emotions of the characters to life.

I was particularly impressed by the instructors’ ability to make the poetry of utai, the movements of shimai, and the artistry of Noh mask carving accessible to non-Japanese speakers. Their teaching seamlessly combined practical instruction with deeper insights into the philosophy and aesthetics of Noh.

The greatest challenge came while preparing Shōjō for our final recital. The teachers helped me refine my footwork, fan movements, timing, and subtlety of expression. I spent countless hours on my own practicing, listening, watching, and repeating until the movements became second nature. Their patient, precise instruction challenged me to move beyond mastering the choreography toward embodying the spirit of the dance.

I was reminded of Shu-Ha-Ri, the Japanese progression from learning the forms to internalizing and ultimately transcending them. I came to understand that this process is not simply a linear progression toward mastery, but an expanding spiral of learning, refinement, and discovery.

Performing Shōjō at the Kongō Noh Theater was deeply rewarding. All the INI students participated in the Keiunkai Grand Recital, performing utai together and individual shimai dances. Performing on stage to the chanting of the senseis was a profound and magical experience I will never forget.

What stays with me most is the generosity and dedication of Udaka Tatsushige Sensei, Udaka Norishige Sensei, and Diego Pellecchia Sensei, whose thoughtful instruction, encouragement, and attention to detail helped each of us grow as performers. Udaka Keiko’s insights into the meaning, expression, and craftsmanship of Noh masks were equally memorable. Seeing the mask she had been carving during our intensive come alive on stage in a Noh performance was extraordinary.

The INI Intensive was more than a return to Noh. It was a profound reminder that artistic growth is a lifelong adventure, and that even after forty years, there are new ways for the flower of artistic expression to blossom.

Philip Noyed

Photo: Udaka Sanami

To start to know noh, you must know humility. As children, learning to walk is a milestone, and for noh, it is the same. When you are asked to forget what you understand about standing and begin to move as demons, divine beings, and wandering humans, you strip away the attachment to being right, and instead devote yourself to curiosity.

My greatest takeaway from INI’s Noh Intensive is that the simplest gesture or the thinnest wrinkle carved upon a mask can have the grandest meaning. Whether you are the suffering Yuya scanning the horizon for the solace of sakura, or Shojo bestowing the gift of everlasting sake to the generous shopkeeper, all these can be encapsulated in the gaze of the face or stream of the arm. Although there may have been fumbled footwork or warbled words, our eager inquiry into the imagery of the art form stripped us of our pride so we could breathe inside each character.

As the final demonstration ended, my reaction when ducking through the stage door was, “I wish I could perform again.” To me, that is the true sign of inspiration: longing to learn and share more. From the tips of my tabi socks to the final fold of the fan, I hope to humbly offer my knowledge of this art form to others through my work as an educator and writer. May this be the first step, the first kata, in a lifelong dance of coming to know Noh, and cheerily chanting that song to anyone willing to sing along.

(MC Crosby)