Shōdan in Okina
Okina Instrumental Dance
The dance is divided in three parts, each articulated by a cadential sequence of three stamps: left-right-left. The sequences are respectively named: Heaven, Earth, and Man reflecting the Eastern concept of a trinity that symbolizes the completeness of the universe. This fundamental trinity was first referenced in Prayer-2, and similarly named appeared in Okina’s second Dance-to-text.
The percussion part is based on essentially four patterns, while the nohkan’s “Okina no mai” pattern comprises thirteen phrases. The form of the dance is outlined in the chart below, which presents the number of honji that corresponds to the nohkan phrases, percussion pattern, and the title for each sequence of stamps.
Each phrase of the nohkan begins in a distinct register, forming “registral waves”: Part I ascends from low to high; Part II moves from middle to high before descending to low; and Part III, beginning in the low register, rises to high, then shifts through the middle and low, ultimately concluding in the very low register.
| Honji | Nohkan’s phrase | Percussion pattern | Named sequence of three stamps: L-R-L |
| Part I | |||
| 1-4 | 1 – Low | Pattern 1 | |
| 4-5 | 2- Low | Pattern 1 | |
| 6-7 | 3 - High | Pattern 1 | |
| 8 | - | Pattern 2 | First sequence is named Heaven |
| Part II | |||
| 9-10 | 4 - Middle | Pattern 1 | |
| 10-11 | 5 - Middle | Pattern 1 | |
| 12-13 | 6 - Low | Pattern 1 | |
| 13 | 7 - High | Pattern 1 | |
| 14 | - | Pattern 2 | Second sequence is named Earth |
| Part III | |||
| 15-20 | 8 - Low | Pattern 1- variation | |
| 20-25 | 9 – High | Pattern 1- variation | |
| 25-32 | 10 – Middle | Pattern 3 | |
| 33-34 | 11 – Low | Pattern 1- 2nd variation | |
| 35-38 | 12 – Low | Pattern 1- 2nd variation | |
| 39-41 | 13 – Very low | Pattern 4 | Third sequence is named Man |
Part I is very slow with Okina’s steps on beats 1, 3, 5, and 7, in rhythmic synchrony with the percussion pattern, as shown in the following figure:
The tempo of Part II is much faster, though both Parts I and II are concluded with the same percussion pattern shown below. It is clearly audible, as the lead kotsuzumi’s part is different from that of the two accompanying players.
Part III is slower, with the dance-space focused mainly upstage on Square 8. The percussion part introduces two variations on the first pattern shown above; the first variation concludes with the two-honji pattern shown below with the three kotsuzumi parts rhythmically synchronized.
The second variation concludes with a different two-honji pattern, also shown below, in which the lead kotsuzumi player’s part differs from the two accompanying parts.
