There are many specific techniques that have been used and perfected in kabuki theater. Here are a few of the ones most commonly performed… Hikinuki: This was when an actor would have a dramatic costume change will being on stage. This was done by sewing the two costumes together with a thick thread called shitsuke ito. Just before the change was performed, this thread was pulled out, making the top costume come off and revealing the second costume underneath. Chunori: This was a midair performance that involved an actor being suspended above the audience and the stage. During the Edo period, ropes were used to hoist the actor up and keep him suspended. This techniques was used to enhance the illusion of ghost, spirits, apparitions, and gods. Tachimawari: This was a fighting scene that consisted of stylized movements that were taught to the actors playing the parts of the dueling samurai. One to one battles could occur on the stage, but whole casts could also engage in a tachimawari scene. Roppo: This was a stylized exit along the hanamichi (walkway extending from stage leading to an exit). It was a dramatic exit, enhanced by exaggerated movements of the hands and feet to imitate running. This technique is typically used in aragoto plays. Mie: This is when a actor strikes a dramatic pose while acting, causing a pause in the performance and giving rise to the expression of the feelings of the characters. Ningyo Buri: This is when one actor stands behind another and acts as a “puppeteer”, giving the impression that one character is being controlled by the other. The “puppet” character dances in imitation to the movements of a puppet while the other actor is behind them and initiating the movements. Kabuki maku: In a theatrical performance, there are often a few curtains involved: one main one and a couple more that add to the sets and make the setting more realistic. In kabuki theater, there are many different types of curtains that are used to enhance the experience. One example is a curtain that is pale blue. This type of curtain is either dramatically unrolled from the ceiling to hide the stage or suddenly dropped from the ceiling to reveal the stage. Another type of curtain is used as a “disappearing curtain” to conceal actors that were “killed” on stage as they exit. One final example is a mist curtain that is used to hide musicians when they enter and exit the stage, leading to more aesthetic transition scenes.