oto , ▁dance ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁central ▁element ▁of ▁k ab uki , ▁and ▁in ▁fact ▁those ▁first ▁performances ▁involved ▁more ▁dance ▁and ▁music ▁than ▁drama . ▁ ▁An ▁important ▁early ▁development ▁of ▁dance ▁in ▁k ab uki ▁was ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁of ▁elements ▁from ▁ke ig oto , ▁b un ra ku ▁dance ▁scenes . ▁But ▁proper ▁sh os ag oto ▁d ances , ▁performed ▁by ▁on n ag ata ▁actors , ▁entered ▁the ▁k ab uki ▁re per toire ▁in ▁the ▁Gen ro ku ▁period ▁( 1 6 8 8 - 1 7 0 4 ) ▁( see ▁also ▁Gen ro ku ▁b un ka ). ▁Then ▁from ▁the ▁Ky oh o ▁to ▁the ▁H ore ki ▁period ▁( 1 7 1 6 – 1 7 6 4 ) ▁the ▁form ▁was ▁further ▁developed , ▁and ▁nag aut a ▁became ▁the ▁main ▁form ▁of ▁accompan iment . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁actor ▁to ▁perfect ▁the ▁genre ▁was ▁Seg awa ▁K ik uno jo ▁I ▁( ca . ▁ 1 6 9 3 – 1 7 4 9 ), ▁considered ▁an ▁excellent ▁dan cer ▁and ▁the ▁best ▁on n ag ata ▁in ▁E do ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁He ▁became ▁very ▁successful ▁shortly ▁after ▁arriv ing ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 0 ▁by ▁performing ▁the ▁leading ▁role ▁on ▁the ▁dance ▁A io i ▁J ishi ▁at ▁the ▁Nak am ura - za . ▁He ▁special ized ▁in ▁the ▁performance ▁of ▁Sh ak