kabuki dance
- noun
- /kəˈbuːki dæns/
- Literature
:
danza kabuki
- Their public debate was just a kabuki dance, hiding what had already been agreed upon privately.
Examples
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Critics described the negotiations as a political kabuki dance designed to delay real action.
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The entire budget process became a kabuki dance with little chance of meaningful results.
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The performers showcased a stunning kabuki dance last night.
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Have you ever seen a kabuki dance before?
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Critics described the negotiations as a political kabuki dance designed to delay real action.
-
Their public debate was just a kabuki dance, hiding what had already been agreed upon privately.
-
The entire budget process became a kabuki dance with little chance of meaningful results.
Synonyms
2
9.5
A public performance, often in politics, that does not seem honest
A performance of throwing and catching balls to entertain people
How Deceptive
Surface Forms
Morphology
Given the provided constituent meanings, the compound is directly compositional: 'kabuki' (a staged or insincere public performance) + 'dance' yields a dance that is staged, elaborate, or performative. This follows a regular noun+noun composition pattern and would be readily understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituents and the cultural/metaphorical sense of 'kabuki'.
Etymology
Kabuki dance comes from Japanese Kabuki, a type of theater where actors wear bold makeup and use showy dance moves to make a clear, dramatic show. So calling a meeting a kabuki dance means it is 'just for show', a staged performance that hides the real work or truth.