It
may come as a surprise to you but dance is an integral part
of Japanese
culture. In fact even though Japanese are
not believed to great dancers by western standards, they
have the energy and desire to dance and they do their best.
Aaron McCain, who was a DJ in several Roppongi bars for a
year, comments, "The typical Japanese person's dance is
one of a stomping motion that periodically alternates feet,
but nonetheless is a energized stomp. This is done in
conjunction with an arm motion that is similar to the
downward pulling actions kids do in the US when they try to
get a passing truck driver to blow their horn. Lastly,
I must say that, although it is a odd dance, I find it so
cute and love all my Japanese fans because event though they
may not dance as well as many clubbers in other nations,
they will dance all night long and stomp with all their
might and all their heart".
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While
men and women in the cities may not do such a great job, as
soon as you go to the countryside, each part has its own set
of dances and festivals where these dances are performed.
Most of these dances are performed in open spaces where
everyone gathers to clap and even join in the dance. Of
course, this is a perfect excuse to drink lots of beer and
sake since summer time is the season of dance and what can be
a better way to cool down. (Related article: Nihon
Matsuri)
While
MYNIPPON team was attending the Japan Matsuri in New York
during summer, the Japanese artists demonstrated several
traditional dances. In Japan, bon-odori or
bon-dance is the most common dance, which is held as part of
the bon festival. Bon is a Buddhist festival
honoring the spirits of ancestors and others. Nowadays,
bon dances are almost secular and are more of a community
activity than a religious ceremony as a lot of Japanese people
no longer consider themselves to be religious. (Related:
Stacy Keibler)
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 A dance
form that has become extremely popular in Japan and is not a
Japanese dance is flamenco, which has roots in Spain.
This dance has become almost a craze among young women who
find that flamenco gives them with the exercise that they need
but also provides them with a sense of passion and grace.
Japanese dancers have earned worldwide recognition in Latin
dances such as tango, cha-cha-cha, salsa, samba, and merengue.
Several competitions are held in Japan for these dances and
Japanese dancers compete extremely well with natives of Latin
America.
A few
years ago, a beautiful movie called 'Shall We Dance?' made
ballroom dancing so popular that men who would never imagine
taking dance lessons decided to join schools that were being
established everywhere in Japan. Belly dancing and hula
dancing have become popular among young women and housewives
who are attracted by these erotic dances and want to
feel the
passion. It appears that working women and men (like the
lead actor in the movie 'Shall We Dance?') tend to treat
dancing as a stress relieving exercise and generally attend
lessons after work. Japanese
housewives take lessons when their
husbands have left for work and children are in school.
The
modern forms of dances are popular among teenagers and office
ladies (OL) who frequent bars and discos (referred to as clubs
in Japanese). Here the popular music these days is
techno, JPOP,
and hip-hop. Women dress in attractive clothes
and guys try to look cool. The atmosphere is a little
more formal
than what you would see in other countries but
still very relaxed. People who otherwise work in very
serious offices get an opportunity to lose their inhibitions.
One such club in Tokyo, Juliana, became a popular place among
young women in Japan few years ago to lose their inhibitions.
Not only would they dress hot, some of them would take their
tiny pieces of clothing off for their male admirers who would
stand up in line for hours to get in and had to pay hefty sums
at the gate. MYNIPPON has learned that many frequent
visitors to such clubs work in otherwise dull jobs all week
and use these trips to such clubs to live their fantasies of
passion and romance.
The
hip-hop and soul music has made some inroads into popular
Japanese culture and trendy Japanese youth are embracing
these. In concerts or in street performances, young
Japanese men can be seen performing in their unique Japanese
style. This trend is likely to continue as more and more
Japanese people travel overseas and get exposed to foreign
dances. The energy level and the spirit of such dances
has attracted wide appeal among young people and new forms are
dance are emerging. Recommended links: Para para dance culture in Japan
Flamenco
Eurobeat
Office
party style
Dancing with the stars
How to find a partner on the dance floor
Shannon Elizabeth Derek Hough ballroom dance video |
