Compañía Nacional de Danza

The haiku is probable the briefest poetic structure both in East and West. Most of the Japanese words are polysyllabic, therefore the number of them required by the haiku is relatively small: from five to eight or nine, in total. Haikus do not rhyme. The only formal requisite is to have 17 syllables. Although within a haiku there can be more than one sentence, they always content a sole poetic image. The haiku pretends to say something without saying it. What is not said communicates more than words, but has to count with them. Poetry in haiku propagates in infinite meanings because it frequently reaches that perfect simplicity pursued by philosophy, religion, literature, art and, of course, also pursued by dance.

BOKUSUI
A parting word?
The melting snow
it does not smell. ()
BASHO
Nothing indicates
in the song of the cicada
that she will soon be dead.
JOSEKI
Today must be
The day of my birth there