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==History==
==History==
Noh evolved out of an earlier dance-drama form known as ''[[sarugaku]]'', as actor, playwright, and troupe leader [[Kan'ami]] ([[1333]]-[[1384]]) and in particular his son [[Zeami]] ([[1363]]-[[1443]]) adapted their [[Yamato province]] [[Yamato sarugaku|style of ''sarugaku'']] to incorporate elements of other arts, including the [[Omi sarugaku|''sarugaku'' style]] of [[Omi province|Ômi province]], and the narrative/dance form ''[[kusemai]]''.
Zeami claimed that the origins of ''sarugaku'' could be traced to ''[[kagura]]'' ([[Shinto]] ritual dances). He also drew upon [[Book of Poetry|Chinese poetry theory]]<!--Shijing 詩經-->, ''[[gagaku]]'' musical theory, and numerous other sources in explaining the origins of his Yamato ''sarugaku'' tradition, or in adopting elements from these outside sources in altering and developing Yamato ''sarugaku'' into the early form of Noh.
Yamato ''sarugaku'', in the time of Kan'ami and Zeami, specialized in ''monomane'' - imitation or mimicry of characters or character types. As Zeami sought to adapt his art to make it more appealing to cultivated elite Kyoto audiences, he struggled to maintain this strength while incorporating elements such as the Ômi ''sarugaku'' focus on cultivating a mood or atmosphere of mysterious beauty (''yûgen''). Through the incoporation of various elements from Ômi ''sarugaku'', ''kusemai'', and other art forms, as well as other innovations, Zeami developed Yamato ''sarugaku'' into a form featuring lengthier narratives and deeper themes, blending ''monomane'' with ''yûgen'' and other aesthetics to achieve an artistic effect (''kakari'') and deeper aesthetic impact.
Zeami, along with his sons and grandsons, composed many plays which remain central to the repertoire today. His line developed into the [[Kanze school]], the oldest of the five main schools of Noh, with the other four schools becoming established over the centuries, some as late as the [[Edo period]], though all five are quite firmly established today.
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