Why this word is great
KAGURA — [Noun] A traditional Shinto theatrical dance performed in Japan as an offering to the gods. From Japanese 神楽 (kagura), literally 'god music', from 神 (kami, 'god') + 楽 (gaku/raku, 'music, entertainment'). Earlier forms include kangura and kamugura. Unlike 'Noh' (a rarefied classical drama of masks and measured steps) or 'Bon Odori' (a communal dance for the dead, all lanterns and laughter), kagura is sacred play, a bridge between the human and divine. It is the shudder of silk robes in torchlight, the hollow clack of wooden clappers marking time for invisible guests, the slow, deliberate arc of a dancer’s sleeve tracing the shape of devotion—a reminder that ritual is the oldest form of theater, and theater, the oldest form of prayer.