Last Sunday, we enjoyed our Awa Odori dance practice surrounded by the beautiful autumn leaves under the blue sky! Many people watched us dance, smiling! It was our last session of Awa Odori practice in 2022, but it was also the first practice toward the Japan Parade in May, 2023! We learned the new choreography and practiced with live music for the first time! Can't wait until we dance together with those who couldn't join this time. We will resume our practice in January! Thank you again for joining JPA Awa Odori practice this year! See you in January 2023!

JPANYC #JPANY #toray #dance #awaodori #practice #CentralPark #parade #performance #rehearsal #japanese #japan #japanesearts #Heritage #generationtogeneration #tradition #kimonoculture #groupdance #together #2023 #JapanParade #May #autumn #leaves #beauty #bluesky ... See MoreSee Less

Fujimusume (Wisteria Maiden) performed by Midori Anami at OPERA America on Oct 29th 2022.

Fujimusume is one of the most famous dance pieces of Nihon buyo (traditional Japanese dance). The original inspiration for the dance piece is from a painting by a renowned artist during the Edo period－it was later adapted for the Kabuki performance. The story is about a wisteria fairy who falls in love with a human man. The dance piece demonstrates the combination of the beauty of wisteria with that of a woman.

Photo by Nana Miki (First 2 photos), Robert Essel & Yoko Essel (all other photos)

Hair set done by Satoshi Ikeda

Consume dressed by Mayumi Maeda.

#JPANYC #JPANY #performance #show #dance #kimono #education #costume #wisteria #hair #culture #Japanese #Japan #japanesearts #hairset #hairdesigns #fashion #stage #theater #kabuki #nichibu #nihonbuyo #tradision #traditional #heritage #movement #girl #fairy ... See MoreSee Less

The ladies are the assistants/models for the JPA kimono event on October 29th!

From left, Tsuyako Takahashi, Tomoko Takedani Sater, Taka Nishimura, Masako Okamura, Aasiya Van, Nancy Castro and Hatsuko Otsuka

Showing their hair designs and obi decorations!

Photo by RT Robert Essel &Yoko Essel

Hair by Mika Saijo, Satoshi Ikeda and
Mayumi Maeda

Kimono dressed by Mayumi Maeda & Mika Saijo

JPANYC #JPANY #performance #show #dance #kimono #education #costume #knowledge #sustainablefashion #culture #Japanese #Japan #japanesearts #hairset #hairdesigns #stage #obi #decoration # #tratision #traditional #heritage #crafts #japancrafts #kimonoculture #woman ... See MoreSee Less

Photo by Robert Essel @esselphoto and Yoko Essel @yokoessel.happa

Dressed by Mika Saijo @mikansa

Yuko Hamada performed three pieces of traditional Japanese dance at the National Opera Center (Opera America in New York City) for JPA Kimono project 2022 on Saturday, October 29th.

These six photos are from the first piece, Kurokami, originated from a scene of Kabuki play, which portrayed an actual historical female figure. She presented a strategic marriage idea between her lover, a military commander, and an enemy lord’s daughter. Her dance piece in kabuki is the scene of the woman alone combing her hair and thinking of her lover on the strategic marriage wedding day.

Now that it has become a Nichibu dance piece, the love relationship can be freely arranged, and many dancers perform "Kurokami" as a role of a lonely woman wishing her lover were with her.


#JPANYC #JPANY #performance #show #dance #kimono #education #costume #wig #hair #culture #Japanese #Japan #japanesearts #hairset #hairdesigns #fashion #stage #theater #kabuki #nichibu #nihonbuyo #tratision #traditional #heritage #love #wishing #lover #symbol #woman ... See MoreSee Less