Greetings, myth lovers! Join us for Monday's theme: #Dance! Which myths feature someone who dances or #dancing? In which myths do #dances play an important role? Use the hashtag #MythologyMonday for boosts!
🎨 Dancing Apsaras, female spirits of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology
Deeper and deeper into #Japanese#culture and people, I went into the #Kyoto Imperial Palace for a special performance of #Gagaku (雅楽), imperial court #music and #dances of #Asian mainland origin that have been performed there since the Heian Period over a thousand years ago. An acquaintance who is a Shintō priestess (see photo) from Nara played two types of traditional flutes that sustain an eerie or higher-worldly atmosphere. The relatively slow and deliberate movements of the mostly male dancers in many-layered gorgeous contumes stand in contrast with the frenetic tempo of modern #entertainment. We experience #time as the pace of transformation, and that brief time transfixed with the Gagaku performance was but an interlude from an ancient era in a workday preparing for university classes and a keynote address. Photos will have to suffice to evoke the special atmosphere.