Kabuki dance [n.]

An elaborate display with no real substance; an artful deception. “Just sat through another kabuki dance—smiles all around while the real decisions happen down the hall.”

At the bank level, there’s a concern inside banks as to whether they want to open up the hood and say, “OK, we want to sell these loans,” because if there is a focus or a magnifying glass on some of their riskier loans, they’re concerned about deposits. So it’s sort of a little bit of a kabuki dance around that. But ultimately, it all plays out.

Barry M. Gosin, CEO
CEO, Newmark Group, Inc.
Q1 2024 earnings call

It was probably the best decision that we made because it gave us the opportunity to really invest and grow this business right now versus let’s do the kabuki dance, right?

Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman & CEO
American Express Co.
Delta Air Lines Capital Markets Day
December 16, 2021