Japanese Parasol Dance History
| Japan is a small island but one which has an ancient and rich culture. The Japanese almost had a civilization of their own. For example, they have age old medicine practices, culture and even singing and dance. Karaoke itself is a kind of art that first was developed in Japan. |
The parasol is one such dance that originated in Japan, and has a rich history. The parasol dance is one such dance that involves dancing with umbrellas. These umbrellas are specially made for the dance. The dance involves girls shuffling steps and is a very typical Japanese dance. It might look very easy but it is such an ancient dance that it involves several techniques.
Parasol is actually originated from the kabuki. The song that is played while the dance recital is going on is known as Mikado. Women wear bright colored kimonos and carry a parasol which is an umbrella and also wear Japanese wooden shoes. These shoes have block heals and give the women the height. It is very difficult to walk in those shoes for normal people and leave alone dance. The music may be played several times during the dance and it can go on for a long time.
The parasol dance has been followed by the Japanese for more than 600 years now. It is a very articulate dance and it was once practiced by geishas or wheat we call them as escorts in the modern world. Japanese parasol dance is still alive in Japan today, but only very few people are trained in it. If you get a chance to see one of those performances, then you should consider yourself lucky.
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