From the very origin of okuni kabuki in 1603 , when Izumo no Okuni began performing in the dry riverbeds of Kyoto , dance has been a central element of kabuki .
In fact those first performances involved more dance and music than drama .
From the very origin of okuni kabuki in 1603 , when Izumo no Okuni began performing in the dry riverbeds of Kyoto , dance has been a central element of kabuki , and in fact those first performances involved more dance and music than drama .