Jo-ha-kyu is a compositional principle giving a three-part shape to pace: jo, the opening; ha, the development; kyu, the close. It runs through noh, linked verse, and tea practice.
Origins
Taken from gagaku into noh and systematised by Zeami as a structural principle, it is applied in tea to the shape of a whole gathering, of a procedure, and of individual gestures.
In practice
Practitioners speak of a gathering having jo-ha-kyu, or of a procedure lacking it, when discussing whether the pacing has contour. It is the reason a technically correct procedure performed at a uniform tempo is judged flat.
About this article
Edited by the operator of Chaen (a one-person operation) / Last updated:
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