Born: 8 December 1929, United States
Died: Unknown (after 2020)
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Onoe Kikunobu
The following is republished from the National Endowment for the Arts. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Gertrude Yukie Tsutsumi, also known by her stage name Onoe Kikunobu, is one of the premier nihon buyo (Japanese classical dance) artists in Hawaii and has been studying the tradition for more than 50 years. Nihon buyo is a dance form that developed in the 17th century with roots in kabuki and noh, two styles of drama that include elaborate make-up and costumes.
Tsutsumi began training when she was eight years old at the Bando School in Honolulu. In 1956, she traveled to Tokyo to continue her dance education with Onoe Kikunojo I and was granted her shihan (master of dance diploma) a year later. She was bestowed the natori (professional name) of Onoe Kikunobu, which allowed her to open her own school and bestow professional names as well.
In 1964, Tsutsumi opened the Kikunobu Dance Company in Hawaii to teach a new generation of students Japanese classical dance, and as of 2014, 13 students under her tutelage have been recognized as master dancers. In addition to presenting concerts, Tsutsumi also choreographs new works for the students and holds workshops and demonstrations. She has collaborated with a number of local groups, including the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, the Mānoa Valley Theatre, and Kumu Kahua Theatre, helping support local playwrights in the process.
Since 1980, she has been a lecturer in the University of Hawaii’s Department of Theatre and Dance, where she has been the principal dance and movement resource for their productions of Japanese kabuki theater with English translation. Tsutsumi continues to reach students not only in Hawaii, but also on the mainland United States at the request of several of her former students who now teach Japanese dance at universities and colleges throughout the country.
In 2002, Tsutsumi received a Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant from the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. In 2004 she received the Silversword Award for Cultural Excellence from the Pan-Pacific Festival. Internationally, Tsutsumi received the honor of performing on the stages of well-known theaters in Tokyo such as the Kabuki-za, Shinbashi Embujo, and the National Theater of Japan in dance productions produced by Onoe Kikunojo I and Kikunojo II. In addition to running her dance company, Tsutsumi worked as an elementary school teacher for 30 years.