AWA DANCE FESTIVAL

is held every year in the time of Bon Odori (Bon festival) in the area of Tokushima city (徳島市; -shi), the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan. Koenji, an area of Tokyo, also has an Awa Dance Festival modeled on Tokushima's, which started in 1956.
In the daytime they perform a restrained dance called "Nagashi",　But at night they switch to frenzied dance called "Zomeki".
The dancers dance and walk while they follow an accompaniment such as shamisen, drum, brass, and flute. Dancers wear regional costumes and often sing while dancing. Men and women follow separate dance steps and wear different costumes, although most professional Awa Odori teams called '''Ren (連)''' tightly choreograph the movements of their male and female members together.
The dance troupe sings "Ya-to-sa" as they dance through the city streets. The lyrics to the Awa Dance festival song include the phrase "the dancing fool and the watching fool are both fools, so let's dance!"

Contents

History

Song

External links

Official Japanese Sites

Japanese

English / English Translation

Audio Video

History

Awa Odori is popularly believed to have begun in 1587. Lord Hachisuka Iemasa, the daimyo of Awa Province hosted a drunken celebration of the opening of Tokushima Castle. The locals, having consumed a great amount of sake, began to drunkenly weave and stumble back and forth. Others picked up commonly available musical instruments and began to play a simple, rhythmic song, to which the revelers invented lyrics, alternately praising Lord Hachisuka and encouraging others to join the dance.
While Awa Odori occurs at the same time as the Bon Festival, most do not consider Awa Odori as a Bon Odori.

Song

踊る阿呆に	Odoru Ahou ni	Crazy Dancers,
見る阿呆	Miru ahou	with other crazies watching them
同じ阿呆なら	Onaji Ahou nara	Since both alike Mad ,
踊らな損、損	Odorana Son Son	You might as well dance, might as well dance

External links

Official Japanese Sites

★ Awa Odori by the Japan National Tourist Organization

★ Japan Atlas - Festivals by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (click "19" for Awa Odori)

Japanese

★ Awa Dance homepage by www.awaodori.net (Japanese)


★ Awa Odori & Awa Ningyo Joruri by students at Kagawa Junior College, Japan (Japanese with English)

English / English Translation

★ Awa Odori Fan Club homepage by awa-dori.net (English translation by Google)]

★ Awa Dance homepage by www.awaodori.net (English translation by Google)


★ Awa Odori by web-japan.org

★ Dance of Fools: Awa Odori Festival, Japan by www.pilotguides.com


★ Awa Odori by web-jpn.org

★ Japanese Line Dance? by www.country-dance.com (many pictures)

Audio Video

★ Awa Odori dance video (Japanese)


★ Awa Odori dance audio