2023 NO.35
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Dancing Japan!
Props Add Flair to Dances
Rhythmic and melodic musical instruments are used as props to accentuate the choreography and add to the glamor and excitement of Japanese Furyu-odori folk dances.
Cooperation: Miyamoto Unosuke Co., Ltd.
Ayatake
Dancers hold these bamboo sticks decorated with colored paper and bells in both hands, twirling them and striking them against each other as they dance. The ayatake pictured here are used in the Chakkirako dance. (Photo: Miura City)
Taiko
The taiko is a drum played with a mallet or bachi stick. Yasurai-bana and Yoshihiro-gaku dancers perform these dances as they beat the small, handheld, high-pitched shime-daiko drum (pictured).
Fue
The yokobue and shinobue bamboo transverse flutes are often part of Japanese folk dances. The main melody of the music that accompanies these dances comes from the clear, high tones of the fue.
Uchiwa
Like the ougi fans, the non-folding uchiwa fan also plays an important role in dances. Dancers flutter and clap these fans, adding flair to the dance steps. Pictured here is the large uchiwa fan used in Nenbutsu-odori in Takinomiya. (Photo: Ayagawa Town)
Ougi
In addition to being a practical tool for keeping cool, folding ougi fans are an essential part of Japanese dances and festivals. The fan is used in a variety of ways—fully open and held high, or swept through the air in a wavelike motion. Pictured is the ougi used in the Chakkirako dance. (Photo: Miura City)
Kane
These disc-shaped gongs are made of copper and other metals and struck with a thin mallet to create a rhythm. They are used in nearly every Japanese Furyu-odori dance. They produce a high-pitched, piercing sound.