Posted at 12:05 PM on March 1, 2011
by Eric Ringham
It's hard to tell, even after a couple of viewings, just what's going on in this performance. The Japanese actor Taichi Saotome, 19, is known for his work as an onnagata - female impersonator - and for performing in the style known as taishu engeki, which is something like the better-known (to me) kabuki. This piece is billed as a "Sword Dance and Shadowgraph," filmed early in January. When you're tempted to ask whether the Internet is a wonderful tool or a bloodsucking waste of time, this video provides the answer: yes.