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How to Dance BonOdori: Advanced

Travel Information

Bon Odori is a dance performed in summer time in Japan. In Japanese religion, all the ancestors visit their descendants in the middle of August (July in Tokyo), Bon Odori is a welcome dance for them. In August, there are many Bon Odori Matsuri where you can enjoy dancing Bon Odori everywhere in Japan. There are 1,000s of Bon Odori, and here MLJ will introduce three advanced dances which are very popular and exciting to dance. Yukata Ondo, Yagi Bushi, and Oedo Tokyo Ondo.


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Detailed Travel Guide

How to Dance BonOdori: Advanced

ゆかた音頭
Yukata Ondo
"Yukata Dance Song"

use paper fan on right hand
(walk counterclockwise)


Face your stomach to the center of circle, and count 4.
Clap, clap and clap.
Grab the right arm wing by left hand.
Swing the fan to right up and palm up like catching rain.
Drop the fan to left and step.
Three steps to right with swinging the fan over.
Three steps to left hold left arm wing by fan, but don't move.
You must face to the center of the circle.
Turn clockwise. Spin one times with 6 steps.
At each steps, you flip your fan.
Three steps to the center from right foot.
Open your arms.
Three steps back, and make a big circle.
Turn to the right and beckon, right and left.
Step right foot and draw Mt. Fuji, and step right foot back.
Again, step from right foot, and swing your face three times.
Grab right arm wing by left hand.
Clap, clap and clap. At last clap turn to the center.

Repeat.
Right, 1, 2, 3.
Left, 1, 2, 3. Keep fan.
Spin clockwise with 6 steps.
At each steps, you flip your fan.
To the center, 1, 2, 3.
Back 1, 2, 3 and circle.
To moving direction beckon, right and left.
Draw Mt. Fuji.
Swing, swing, swing.
Clap, clap and clap. At last clap turn to the center.


八木節
Yagibushi
"Song of Yagi"

(walk counterclockwise)

Move:
Face your stomach to the walking direction, and count 4.
Close your fingers. Three steps like running.
At the last step, you clap.
Put right foot left forward, stretch your right arm, and cross your face with left hand.
Turn your body to the direction.
Then the other side, step left foot to the out side of the circle.
Turn your body back to the direction.
Bend and stretch arms twice, and Move right foot twice.
Step back from right foot and left. Hands up and down.

Repeat.


大江戸東京音頭
Oedo Tokyo Ondo
"Oedo Tokyo Dance Song"

(walk counterclockwise)

Move:
Face your stomach to the walking direction, and count four.
Clap, clap and clap.
Step right foot and bend you knees, and hug.
Step back and make a circle in front of you.
Step the other side.
Step back and make a circle in front of you.
Three steps from right foot.
Stretch your right arm and touch its upper arm by left hand.
1, 2, 3.
Then, the other side.
Put your right foot down and swing right hand forward just like sweeping hair.
Step back left foot.
Bend your knees, and the other side. Step right foot back.
Step right foot and draw mt. Fuji. Step right foot back.
Put fingers straightly up. Right hand out and left hand in front of your chest.
Step and the other side.
Bring your hands together.
Three steps from right foot and open arms.
The other side.
Put palms up and step right foot. Step back and swing arms and put them back.

repeat.

Finish:
Oedo Tokyo Ondo has the finish.
It finish with Yosakoi Posture.
The music get faster so that you can see the end is coming.
Step right foot to the center of the circle, and cross hands like this.
Fingers straight up.
Step back and open your arms. Left hand forward, and right back.

Dance performed by Yoshiko Ikemura Sensei and Minato Waodori nokai.