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Japanese dance
Nihon buyo (Japanese dance) covers a great many kinds of dance ranging from very formal dance styles to the colourful and dramatic dance styles of the kabuki theatre. Geisha dances fall somewhere in between, being rather gorgeous in presentation but without the dramatic element of the theatre. This example shows miyako odorl, a special stage presentation of geisha dances in the kyomai (Kyoto dance) style which is given at the Kaburen jo theatre every spring. The performers are actually maiko, young geisha who have been educated and trained within the geisha houses of the Gion district of Kyoto. Miyako odori is the oldest of the geisha performances given for the general public; it was first presented in 1872. The performance is choreographed by the Inoue school of kyomai.