Shōdan in Okina

Suzunodan

Disregarding the one-honji introduction, this instrumental dance comprises six sections, articulated by the nohkan's patterns. The table below presents the structural relationships between nohkan patterns, dance sections, and associated kata:

Nohkan			Dance
Honji	Section	Pattern	Honji	Section	Kata
1	Introduction		1-6	Intro	Circle 1-2-9-8 Open Fan in front of face. Kneel.
2-6	Jō (5)
7-11	Section-I (33)	Ji (5)	7-13	I	Raise + Open arms Bell above head, fan shoulder level Bell knee level. Go L, back Go R, back Stamp: RL RL | RL RL RL
12-16		Ji (5)
			14-22	II	Bell: Hip, Fan: Shoulder. Go R. Turn L Bell: Head, Fan: Shoulder Go L. Turn R. Go to 3. Stamp: RL RL | RL RL RL
17-21		Ji (5)
22-26		Ji (5)
			23-28	III	Bell: Knee-> head, Fan: Head Go to 5 Stamp: RL RL | RL RL RL
27-39		Te (13)
			29-41	IV	Bell: Knee-> head, Fan: Head Go to 3-5-2 Raise arms and look up Bell: Knee, Fan on hip Go to 9-1 Stamp: RL RL | RL RL RL
	Section-II (18)	Ji (5)
			42-59	V	Bell: knee, Fan on hip Go to 5-3-8-5-3-8-4 Bell: Shoulder, Fan on hip Go to 8-9 Stamp: RL RL | RL RL RL
45-57		Te (13)
58-62	Section-III (15)	Ji (5)
			60-64	VI	Bell: Hip, Fan: Head Circlet, Bell: Head, Fan face front Stamp: RL RL | RL RL RL
63-67		Ji (5)
			65-68	VII	Bell: Hip, Fan face front Bell: Head, Face face front Stamp: RL RL RL
68-72		Ji (5)
			69-72	VIII	Bell & Fan: Shoulder Circle 8-2-3-4-9 Turn R. Raise and lower arms Stamp: RL | RL RL | RL RL RL
73-76	Kudaki (4)
77-87	Tome (10)
			78-87	IX	Bell & Fan: Shoulder Circle 9-3-4-9-4 Hands before face. Circle. Kneel at 9 Lower arms. Raise on knee. Raise arms. Hands before face Full kneel. Lower arms

Although the nohkan's solo appears straightforward on paper, perceiving its patterns within the music is more complex: elements of the five-honji Ji patterns reappear in other sections. The Ji itself has an 'aabcd' structure, with the second honji repeating the first. The first three honji of the Ji correspond to the first three honji of the Te; the first two align with Kudaki's initial two; and the very first honji recurs in the Tome’s opening five honji. This reuse of musical phrases produces a subtly cyclical quality in the nohkan’s part.

If we consider the Right–Left sequence of stamps as a closing pattern, the dance’s choreography may be described as consisting of nine sections. Unlike Mominodan, where stamping and sleeve swirling dominated, Suzunodan is formally organized around the ringing of the suzu bell, with Sanbasō ringing the bell at four positions: knee level, hip level, arm’s length, and at a raised, extended arm’s length—each position successively intensifying the dance’s mood from subdued to dynamically expressive. The impact is heightened not only by stamping and by Sanbasō’s location on stage—for example, stamping with extended arms downstage is more forceful than ringing the bell at knee level upstage—but also by the use of the open fan, which complements the ringing of the bell. The fan may be held at the hip, extended at shoulder height, or raised above the head; like the bell, its position shapes the expression and intensity of the dance, as when holding the fan above the head creates a far more dramatic effect than at the hip.

As in the Mominodan, the three kotsuzumi players introduce a one-honji pattern, repeated throughout the dance, that features strokes on beats 1, 3, 5, and 7. The ōtsuzumi likewise repeats a pattern, predominantly emphasizing the even beats: 1, 2, 4, and 6.

During stamping sequences, the ōtsuzumi switches to a three-honji pattern that nearly aligns with the kotsuzumi strokes on the odd beats, except for a stroke on the sixth beat. This lighter percussive texture balances the dynamic stamping.

From the start of Section I’s first Ji until near the conclusion, Sanbasō strikes the suzu bell on beats 1, 3, 5, and 7, synchronized with the kotsuzumi’s po strokes.

Suzunodan