Visualization of Impressions and Movement Characteristics Related to Femininity in Japanese Traditional Dance

Abstract

Some female dance forms of Japanese traditional dance was performed by three male dancers and measured using video cameras and motion capture system. One hundred eighty-nine observers evaluated both their impressions (67 dimensions) and the dance movements (38 characteristics). The results showed that observers recognized the "feminine" performance of male dancers. The impressions of Dignified, Fluent, Unsteady, Equal, Nimble, and Asymmetric--and the movement characteristics Magnitude of Hip Rotation and Slow Movement of Limbs, Asymmetry of Torso Movement and Small Arm Movements, Slow Movement of Chest, and Back Tilt Using Lower Back--were extracted via factor analysis as determinants of observers' perceptions of femininity in the expressions. Covariance structure analysis indicated that the magnitude of hip rotation and slow movement of limbs, asymmetry of torso movements and small arm movements, slow movement of the chest, and back tilt using lower back, to create Dignified, Asymmetric, and Equal impressions affected the perceptions of femininity in Japanese traditional dance. This study showed the elements of femininity of female dance form in Japanese traditional dance by male dancers.