Geisha in training

In Japan, I really wanted to take some sort of cultural lessons, whether it be learning about tea ceremony, taiko drumming, ikebana (flower arrangement), or Japanese dance. I was happy then, when I found out that in our town there was a dance teacher who held a class for foreigners. An ALT who had been in Shibata for a year when we had arrived took the class and loved it. So I signed up, along with a couple other girls in town.

Japanese dance, if you've ever seen it, is really simple looking. From my point of view, it looked like really simple movements, done quite slowly, so I was pretty confident going in that I'd do alright. I don't pretend to be a good dancer - the only dancing I've ever gotten somewhat good at is swing dancing - but I figured I could make myself move and look decent out there on the floor. Heck, maybe I'd be able to come back home and tear up a couple dance floors at weddings with my little head tilts and delicate steps.

Well, I couldn't have been more wrong about it looking easy. It was really really hard. First of all, there were the steps, which could be fairly easily mastered if you really worked at it. It was simple, but there were a lot of things to think of at once. Then there was your posture that you were supposed to keep the whole time. It was really unnatural for me. We were meant to hold our tabi-clad feet inwards at all times (tabis are those white "socks" with space between the big toe and the rest of the toes so you can wear sandals with them), have our knees knocking together, and our shoulders down and in. It was pretty much the "shy and awkward" look. THEN, and this was the hardest part, there were these little discreet head-tilts we had to do that if you didn't get perfect, looked like you had a crick in your neck! Watching the experienced dancers was amazing. They'd flit their heads back and forth effortlessly, looking like little dolls, but the moment I tried, I looked like an awkward barbie who's head was on crooked. It was ridiculous.

I took the class for about a year and a half, and it was really fun. The sweet teacher, Fukumoto Sensei, was an older woman who knew nearly no English at all, so she used "sound effects" to describe the movements. She'd flick her hands upward and say "Pi!" or some other cute noise. It worked too, cause we all pretty much figured out what she meant.

My absolute favourite part of the class was when we'd use our Japanese fans. We learned to twirl them, flip them around, and even dance with them when they were closed. Yes, I still have my fan. It sits in a box in the office closet. I'd like to say that I'll pursue Japanese dance here in Vancouver, but as much as I'd enjoy it, there are far too many other things I've got on my list that come first. I guess I'll just pull out my tabi and fan, and maybe even put on my yukata (summer kimono) and try my moves out again every now and then.