Street Dancing

August 5, 2004 - Hanagasa Festival (Ken, Jay-R, Eric, Arlene)

* Originally posted in my Multiply account, http://ebdeguzman.multiply.com.

Yesterday was so fun, though a bit tough. We had the annual Hanagasa Flower Hat Dance Festival. It is actually held for hree days every year but the international students (like me) danced only on the first day. Some groups were devotingly practising since last year as they will be dancing for three days. Anyway, my experience yesterday was quite enough for me to give it a try again next year.

I came to the city hall at about 3 pm. It was the assembly place for all that will dance under the Yamagata City International Friendship Association umbrella. Being under the International Student Center of Yamagata University, we were also under the association. In the assembly hall there were so many foreigners. Most noticeable are the Chinese and the Koreans, who comprised the greatest number. There were also some Malaysians, Brazilian, Indonesians, Americans and Canadians.

I though I was the lone Filipino there since I am the only one wearing the Firipin sash. But eventually, I met two more and we instantly became friends.

The Hanagasa Dance reminded me of the Obando Fertility Dance, same street dancing type and both are so much fun.

*To know more about the Obando Fertility Dance, please go to http://www.geocities.com/obando81.
Picture taken at Nanoka-machi, Yamagata City, Japan.