Okinawa Day 7: Ryukyu Dancing at Shuri Castle

Okinawa is a place known for its spectacular beauty.  For several centuries, the Ryukyu         Kingdom enjoyed wealth, prosperity and a rich culture as beautiful as the island itself.  This kingdom was prosperous enough that it traded between China, Southeast Asia and Japan.  During the Meiji era, all of this changed.  Japan took possession of the island and worked to assimilate the islanders to the Japanese way of life.  Sadly, much of the Okinawan culture that had been in place for many centuries began to fade away.

One aspect of the old Ryukyu Kingdom that has withstood through the Meiji era assimilation, World War II, and the modern world is the ancient art of Ryukyu dancing.   This art has continued to be passed down from one generation to another.  Some of the dancers who are trained in this form of dancing volunteer to perform at Shuri Castle once or twice a week, depending on the time of year.   The day we came to tour Shuri Castle was a day that the dancers were not performing.  We knew we would be back to this part of the island later on, though.  Today was the day that we would get to see this ancient form of dance!  Only Logan, Tayla, and I were excited to see the Ryukyu dancers.  Logan was hopeful that it would be similar to the geisha dancing that we saw in Tokyo.

Unlike other Japanese dances, the feet are turned towards the outside and the arms are positioned in an elegant arch, very similar to western ballet.  The arm movements are delicate and inspired by Buddhist praying gestures.  Look at these costumes!!  So colorful and gorgeous!

 This dance is an “art of stillness” where movement is minimal and slowly executed to reveal powerful emotions.  In this part of the dance, the dancers have wooden castanets in each hand.

The face and neck remain still, but the eyes convey the weight of sadness and can even draw the tears of the performer himself.  Isn't she beautiful?

The next set of dancers.  These costumes were not colorful and seemed masculine.  Maybe they were dressed as men?

Their graceful and deliberate movements with the fans were mesmerizing.

This dancer performed by herself.  Notice her make-up.....we saw them washing it off in the bathroom after the performance.  They put on a white cream and then a lot of powder.  Even their hands and arms are covered with make-up past their elbows.

Half of this dance was performed using an umbrella.

These ladies didn't use any props at all.

Their dance wasn't as exciting because of the lack of props and the lack of bright color in the costume.  The first dance was our favorite.  We also have a nice view of the back of Christopher's head. 

The final bow. 

Some history on the origin of Ryukyu dance that I found interesting when I was reading up on it:  "As a small nation maintaining relations with many larger countries, Ryukyu understood that it could not solve disputes in which the nation might become involved through the exercise of military force and that a peaceful relationship was the only path available.  The performing arts are the epitome of the peaceful cosmopolitan orientation of Ryukyuan civilization.  The many manifestations of the Okinawan performing arts have served over the centuries down to the present to underpin the spiritual and cultural life of the people of these islands."

Even though it was stifling hot and humid (even in the shade!), those in the family who were not overly excited to see the Ryukyu traditional dancers surprised themselves by enjoying it!  Every one of us loved it!

As we made our way back out of Shuri Castle, we noticed more hibiscus flowers.  Love these things!

We love the random Easter lilies growing like weeds all over the place, too!  Okinawa really is a spectacularly beautiful island!!  Beautiful scenery, beautiful history!  Gosh, we all love it here!