Dancing the summer away
The grand event––a series of dance performances––is usually held at the Ushibuka Sōgō Center. Though it primarily revolves around the Ushibuka Haiya dances, interspersed between are shamisen performances and min’yo performed by folk music veterans. Any choice of min’yo almost always includes ‘Otemoyan,’ a famous Kumamoto classic featuring charmingly nonsensical lyrics. Other traditional folk dances also make an appearance, notably those whose origins are connected to Ushibuka Haiya Bushi.
Of these, the most famous must surely be the Awa Odori, Tokushima prefecture’s Bon Odori song. Indeed, the Awa Odori is also the largest dance festival in Japan, involving thousands of dancers citywide and attracting over a million visitors each year. The melody of the song is evocative of Ushibuka Haiya Bushi, though the lyrics are entirely different. If you missed the opportunity to visit Tokushima during their Bon Odori, the Summer Haiya usually has at least a few Awa Odori performances across both days of the festival––an excellent chance to see it performed up close and while you’re comfortably seated out of the sun!
The Awa Odori is instantly recognisable from the women dancers’ distinctive amigasa, half-moon-shaped hats made from woven rushes and straw. (One might observe they also resemble gyoza dumplings.) Otherwise, the yukata they wear varies by dance troupe, and might be predominantly red or pink. They typically have uchiwa (summer fans) tucked into the backs of their obi sashes.
The womens’ dance is remarkably graceful, characterised by swaying arms held high, the womens’ hands reaching towards the sky and moving in hypnotic, almost snake-like fashion. Unique to the dance is the way they stay permanently poised on the ends of their geta sandals, reminiscent of ballet dancers performing en pointe.
Two other dances worth highlighting are the Sado Okesa and the Ondeko, both usually performed by a visiting dance troupe from Sado Island. The former belongs to the sakamoriuta variety of min’yo (songs for drinking and gatherings) derived from Haiya-style songs. Both the melody and lyrics are rather melancholy, and the accompanying dance is appropriately stately and elegant.
Ondeko, on the other hand, is customarily performed as part of prayers for a good harvest or catch. There are around five different styles extant, but the Maehama style where two oni (usually demons, but in this case representing deities) dance, accompanied primarily by the taiko drum. The dance itself has a frenetic, frenzied energy distinct from the preceding festival dances. With their striking, brilliantly coloured costumes and long, wild hair, the masked demon dancers are usually an audience favourite at the festival.
Naturally, one must end the Summer Haiya Festival on a high note. Towards the end, the dancers of the Ushibuka Haiya Preservation Society emerge again for an encore performance. Finally, another rendition of Ushibuka Haiya provides the cue for all the other performers, including the Awa and Sado troupes, to join in the on-stage dancing––audience members welcome. It’s a merry, rousing finish to the summer festivities.
