Noted that the terrestrial BS Nippon TV chose to broadcast their Yuzu-intense program - the show complete with reports, interviews etc. - yesterday night JST, prime time, on the day of Men FS at this year's Worlds, what a coincidence
So here's Bolero and Seimei from Notte Stellata for everyone to enjoy, in particular for those who did not have a chance to see it yet!
A little explanation or reminder for those who don't know:
1. Mansai Bolero has been created by him originally in 2011 as a tribute to those who died in the Great Earthquake, as an expression of the mourning of death and a celebration of reincarnation and rebirth, a very Japanese kind of requiem. Alas, only the reincarnation part of Bolero is available on YouTube right now, it is only maybe a half of the whole program.
2. In the Seimei collab Mansai Nomura is invoking Yuzuru as Seimei's shikigami - a conjured spiritual being commanded by its spiritual master to perform particularly difficult or risky tasks, traditionally believed to be invoked by throwing a paper doll in the air to the sound of incantations. In the traditional Japanese folklore, Seimei was powerful enough to conjure and rule shikigamis.
Still, they say, the original Seimei program had a similar perspective to it as the last Yuzuru's pose is traditionally associated with releasing the shikigami from the spell and putting it to rest after performing the task commissioned by the master.
Shikigami - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Well, it needs to be said, I guess, that Mansai Nomura is regarded a blue-blooded actor in Japan, born into a clan of kyogen masters, having inherited the title and position of the Master of the whole kyogen from his father, debuted on the stage at the age of two. He belongs to the traditional Japanese theatre aristocracy, and they do not go into collaborations or public outings lightly. It was a truly great honour to have him in an ice show, and in two collaborations! It really shows how respected Yuzu is in the Japanese art circles! And the way he acted outside of the programs, his private warmth, smile, praise - this is all splendid, rare, unique and priceless! Mind you, you could see all the Japanese skaters were blown away by the opportunity to perform beside him !The layers of meaning and allusion in this are amazing, and so many more for the Japanese watching. Nomura is the master of his art.
And I defy anyone else on the planet to do that hydroblade in that costume without falling flat on their face...
I had read that his first stage appearance was at three, in the part of the monkey in The Monkey's Quiver, the usual first part of a Kyogen child apprentice, but usually the actor starts this part about 8 I think? It seems incredible that a child of three can have the memory of moves, the spacial awareness, the ability to move and dance with such a costume... I understand that this exceptional precocity was confirmed later.
Here's the relevant fragment of a post-show interview with Mansai Nomura offering some insight into the way this version of Bolero was created.
They say kyogen actors rarely even smile when on stage~. well, here's he's all smiles and hugs 
