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Saipan Awaodori Team joins annual festivity
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Posted on Sep 02 2008
A group of Saipan students recently returned to the islands after performing a traditional Japanese dance at the Awaodori festival in Ko-Enji, Tokyo, Japan.
The CNMI delegation, which left for Japan on Aug. 20 and returned on Aug. 28, performed with the Tokyo Tensuiren Group on Aug. 22 and 23, and was included during the parade of performers.
Before going to Japan, the students were taught the dance steps by members of the Tensuiren, Awaodori Traditional Dance Group, which hails from Ko-Enji, Tokyo.
Awaodori is a famous traditional Japanese dance that began in Tokushima City in Shikoku and Koenji in Tokyo. Awaodori is a celebratory dance for both the young and old, men and women, and boys and girls.
Awaodori is part of the Bon festivities in Japan. They are held to welcome one’s ancestors back into the world for a few days. Though Bon dances are usually performed in a circle, Awaodori participants march in a straight line. The dancers are grouped into teams called ren, which are usually made up several dozen dancers. They march through the streets in unison to music performed on the shamisen, flute, drums, and bells.
