As a westerner watching this dance, it's just so strange, but it's actually very similar to western line dancing. Are the gestures and poses symbolic in some way? Is there something being implied that an outsider wouldn't know?
Hello. The gestures and poses are part of the "dance vocabulary" of Japanese folk dances. There are about 27 of them, with variations.* Many are symbolic of activities like planting, gathering, harvesting, fishing, etc. But, the meaning is contextual. For example, the first move, in Tokyo Ondo, following the claps, is called "nagame kazashi" and is interpreted as "shading your eyes from the sun", or in the dance Tanko Bushi, "wiping the sweat from your brow". So, the gesture's meaning can be flexible. *National Recreation Association of Japan "Folk Dance of Japan" by Ikema Hiroyuki 1981
@@Lv-nq9qz You're very welcome. If you are interested in more of these kinds of dances, you can just look for "Obon" or "Obon Odori", you'll get tons of examples!
As a westerner watching this dance, it's just so strange, but it's actually very similar to western line dancing. Are the gestures and poses symbolic in some way? Is there something being implied that an outsider wouldn't know?
Hello. The gestures and poses are part of the "dance vocabulary" of Japanese folk dances. There are about 27 of them, with variations.* Many are symbolic of activities like planting, gathering, harvesting, fishing, etc. But, the meaning is contextual. For example, the first move, in Tokyo Ondo, following the claps, is called "nagame kazashi" and is interpreted as "shading your eyes from the sun", or in the dance Tanko Bushi, "wiping the sweat from your brow". So, the gesture's meaning can be flexible.
*National Recreation Association of Japan "Folk Dance of Japan" by Ikema Hiroyuki 1981
@@craigkurumada9741 wow, thanks for the info
@@Lv-nq9qz You're very welcome. If you are interested in more of these kinds of dances, you can just look for "Obon" or "Obon Odori", you'll get tons of examples!