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May 7, 2015 • mccsokinawa.com
okinawalivingweekly Short History of Okinawan Dance
Color Me Fun
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Clockwise from the top right: mirceab/bigstock.com,Thomas Alan Smilie
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ecause of Okinawa’s geographical location and accessibility, the island’s arts tend to be attributed to other cultures instead of its own people. But despite the overall uncertainty of the true origins of Ryukyu Buyō, it is agreed that the earliest dances had ceremonial or ritualistic ties and were performed by priestesses or villagers. The earliest record of Ryukyu Buyō is contained in the Omorososhi— a 22 volume collection of Okinawan folk and religious songs that was compiled in the 16th century but represent a much older body of work. The songs praise the gods, the sun, the king and military heroes. They sing about seamanship, trade, construction of temples and castles. Some songs are ceremonial and some are work songs. There are a few love songs as well. An omoro serves to recite an oracle or a divine spirit. The idea was that by using omoro, the gods could speak through a medium that humans could understand (our bodies). But Ryukyu Buyō as we know it today is different from the dances performed during the Ryukyu Kingdom. When the Ryukyu Islands became part of the Japa-
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nese nation in 1879, the entire structure of the Ryukyu Kingdom was squashed and its once noble members of accomplished authors, producers and actors of the performing arts were stripped of their status, purpose and audience. Though they continued to perform in public theaters, the general public was never exposed to Ryukyu court culture and their performances were lost to the general public. Thus, the performers refined their performances to reflect the lives of their audience. The dances depicted the simple lives of agriculture, fishing and the relationships between the Okinawan people. They called the new dance Zo Odori (popular dance). Zo Odori continues to be redefined to meet modern audiences. In post-war Okinawa, Modern Ryukyu Buyō was created as a genre within Zo Odori. The new era of post war dance was centered on women dancers. Classical dance, popular dance and modern dance survive by being passed down through generations that date back to when Okinawa was still an independent kingdom. To see Ryukyu Buyō sign up for the MCCS Tours+ Urashima Dinner Theater tour. See page 11 for details.
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unning can be bland. Endless stretches of grayscale pavement or even worse, the droning whir of the treadmill under florescent tube lights. The EFMP 5K Color Me Fun Run will add some excitement to an otherwise tedious and drab excercise. Runners will be blasted with colorful powder every mile, including one big color explosion at the start of the race. Unlike a regular run where you look soggy and defeated afterwards, a color run is the only occasion you will finish a run looking more glamorous than when you started. The 5K Color Me Fun Run is on May 23 at the Camp Foster Gunners Fitness Center. Pre-register online by May 21 and check-in from 7 to 8:50 a.m. on the day of the event. There will be a mandatory safety brief at 8:50 a.m. For details, visit mccsokinawa.com/ efmp. Read more on page three.
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