Japanese dances and things of the like?

Question

My group needs to have things to present on Japan for a concert coming up in March. What were the dances that Geshias traditionally did and are there any sites that can tell you how to do them. I need them to be fairly easy and learned quickly.

As for costumes, my friend said that the Party Tree may have some Geshia costumes, but would they be enough for this? Are there any other places (central IL) that I could find CHEAP kimonos?

One last question. Would renting Memoirs of a Geshia help with the dances and history (we also need to prepare a slideshow)?

Answer 1

As the person above me already mentioned above, it does take years to learn the type of dancing that the geishas do. In addition, dancing of that sort is pretty rare...I mean there are performances and stuff, but it's not common.

The more common dance is called the bon-odori, which almost everyone knows how to dance, during the summer festivals. Check this site out, which shows some of the videos, and it's in English, too:
http://www.bonodori.net/E/bonodoridance3.htm

Bon-odori, or bon-dancing, is pretty common, and it's easy, too. I think this is more traditional in all the prefectures of Japan (geishas are usually just in the Kyoto prefecture). Plus, you don't have to wear the silken kimonos when you dance. When people do this dance, they wear yukata (cotton, summer version of the kimono) with geta (sandals) without the tabi (socks worn with the sandals when wearing the kimono). Another option is to wear a happi, which is kind of like the yukata, in which that it's made of cotton, but it's much shorter, and it's open in the front. Also, some people like to wear hachimaki (which is kind of like a headband, but it's a cloth rolled and tied around the head).
This is what the happi looks like:
http://www.japanesekimono.com/happi.htm

I would actually recommend the bon-dancing than the geisha dance...it looks more exciting, plus you can decorate the stage with the lanterns, etc. About the costumes, how about making one if you know how to sew?

I'm Japanese, and I find that many Americans are fascinated by the geishas, however, it's not that much of a big deal in Japan. I liked the movie (although controversial in Japan because the actress is Chinese), but I don't think the movie shows the history very much...although it shows how strict the teacher is, and how there are specific poses and position of your hands, etc.

Good luck on your performance:-) I hope this helped

Answer 2

learning to dance like a professional traditional japanese dancer takes years and years of training. you could probably at least mimic a fan dance with the right costume and some fans, and if you didn't make it too long or too complicated. as for renting memoirs of a geisha, i don't think it could hurt; sounds like you could use a little more info on the whole subject.