Saturday 15th March, 13:15 – 14:45
Dating back to its origins in 14th century Japan, Noh combines dance, chant, music, and mask into a multifaceted live experience. Along with a rich literary legacy, ornate costumes, and a ritualized stage space, Noh practice evokes stillness and an intense mysterious beauty. The introductory workshop invites people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds to explore the chant (utai) and movement (shimai) of this living cultural treasure.
In this 90-minute session, participants will learn basic movement patterns (kata) and practice singing and dancing to a selected piece that represents essential rhythm patterns of Noh.
Date: 15 Mar 2025
Venue: ZenYoga
Instructor: Maggie Sur-Han Chang
Cost: £20 general public, £10 Zenways members
To sign up, please email maggieshchang@gmail.com
Maggie Sur-Han Chang is a Noh practitioner, theatremaker, creative producer, and literary translator. In 2016, she founded Invocation Theatre, translating and directing contemporary plays in English into Mandarin to convey authors’ artistic insights and literary aesthetics to Taiwanese audiences. Since 2018, she has been studying the traditional art form of Noh chant and movement with Kita school professionals, while also learning to play the nohkan with Richard Emmert and the kotsuzumi with Kayu Omura. In 2024, she was invited to join Theatre Nohgaku after collaborating with them as a guest artist for two years on an experimental Noh performance in English, Visas for Life.
