Kurai

An esthetic measure of the weight or level of a nō play or of a performance. Plays with low kurai are lighter in feel, less demanding in expression, though not necessarily technically easier. Plays with the highest kurai, like Obasute or Ōmu Komachi, often have little movement and thus challenge the performers ability to sustain interest. Kurai is partially expressed in tempo, faster being “lighter.” Performances for special occasions are often executed with weightier than usual kurai.