Changes

The form came into peril following the dissolution of the kingdom, and with it the aristocratic class and lifestyle. ''Kumi udui'' was no longer restricted to the court or the aristocracy, and could now be performed and viewed more widely; however, its survival rested on performers maintaining the traditions, and on audiences continuing to show interest. Attempts in the early 20th century to maintain it as a more popular artform failed, as that which was performed for the masses transformed by 1919 into a different form, known as ''[[Okinawa shibai]]'' or ''kageki'' ("musical theatre"). However, traditional ''kumi odori'' continued to be practiced and passed on by a number of families, and was revived beginning in the 1970s. The National Theatre Okinawa opened in 2004, and the early 2000s have also seen performances at ''[[gusuku]]'' (castle) sites, as well as the composition of new plays.  

The form came into peril following the dissolution of the kingdom, and with it the aristocratic class and lifestyle. ''Kumi udui'' was no longer restricted to the court or the aristocracy, and could now be performed and viewed more widely; however, its survival rested on performers maintaining the traditions, and on audiences continuing to show interest. Attempts in the early 20th century to maintain it as a more popular artform failed, as that which was performed for the masses transformed by 1919 into a different form, known as ''[[Okinawa shibai]]'' or ''kageki'' ("musical theatre"). However, traditional ''kumi odori'' continued to be practiced and passed on by a number of families, and was revived beginning in the 1970s. The National Theatre Okinawa opened in 2004, and the early 2000s have also seen performances at ''[[gusuku]]'' (castle) sites, as well as the composition of new plays.  

Practitioners of [[Kin Ryosho|Kin Ryôshô's]] school of dance contend, however, that even the ''kumi udui'' performed at the National Theatre Okinawa is more ''shibai''-influenced in style, and that their school maintains forms more accurate to those performed at the royal court, continuing the legacy of the truer "Shuri style."<ref name=gima>Charlene Gima, "Sustaining Tradition through Change in Shuri-Style Kumiwudui," EWC International Conference in Okinawa, Sept 2014.</ref> Kin Ryôshô was named a [[Living National Treasure]] for his role as a bearer of this tradition, which is no longer performed in Okinawa. Cheryl Nakasone, head of the Hawai'i branch of the Jimpû Kai Kin Ryôshô Ryûkyû Geinô Kenkyûsho, maintains the Kin family teachings and Shuri-style of dance through her school in Honolulu. They performed Shuri-style dance at the [[National Theatre Okinawa]] in 2015, bringing this style back to the island.<ref>Nobuko Ochner, "Reflecting on Ryukyuan and Okinawan Literary Studies" panel, at Association for Asian Studies annual conference, Washington DC, 23 March 2018.</ref>

Practitioners of [[Kin Ryosho|Kin Ryôshô's]] school of dance contend, however, that even the ''kumi udui'' performed at the National Theatre Okinawa is more ''shibai''-influenced in style, and that their school maintains forms more accurate to those performed at the royal court, continuing the legacy of the truer "Shuri style."<ref name=gima>Charlene Gima, "Sustaining Tradition through Change in Shuri-Style Kumiwudui," EWC International Conference in Okinawa, Sept 2014.</ref> In this Shuri style, lines are often spoken in a Shuri dialect rather than being chanted; further, there are slight differences in posture, hand movements, and so forth between this Kin/Shuri style and what has become the more widespread standard ''kumi udui'' style in Okinawa. Kin Ryôshô was named a [[Living National Treasure]] for his role as a bearer of this tradition, which is no longer performed in Okinawa. Cheryl Nakasone, head of the Hawai'i branch of the Jimpû Kai Kin Ryôshô Ryûkyû Geinô Kenkyûsho, maintains the Kin family teachings and Shuri-style of dance through her school in Honolulu. They performed Shuri-style dance at the [[National Theatre Okinawa]] in 2015, bringing this style back to the island.<ref>Nobuko Ochner, "Reflecting on Ryukyuan and Okinawan Literary Studies" panel, at Association for Asian Studies annual conference, Washington DC, 23 March 2018.</ref>

==Style==

==Style==