Nov 13, 2018 at 08:25 am
#04 - Intro to Yosakoi Festival in Kochi
Update posted by Daniel RolandiSome of you might have heard about the Yosakoi Festival in Kochi but are not familiar with it, so we'll give you an overview!
The Yosakoi Festival is held 9th-12th of August annually in the city of Kochi on the southern edge of Shikoku island.
In 2018, the opening ceremony was on the 9th; main parades on the 10th and 11th; and the national tournament ("zenkoku taikai") and closing ceremony on the 12th. See schedule on the official website.
Hundreds of yosakoi teams, each led by a jikatasha, parade through several stages set up around the city. Some of the most prestigious ones are in Ootesuji, Obiyamachi, and Central Park -- not any team can just sign up and dance there!
There were 200+ teams on the first day alone!
In their performance, yosakoi teams have to follow the following rules:
- Dancers must hold naruko and move forward
- Teams may arrange the song however they like but they must include the melody of Yosakoi naruko odori
- Max 150 dancers per team
- Each team must have a jikatasha
Source: yosakoimatsuri.com
But aside from that, teams have complete freedom in terms of costumes, music, or even use more props (such as lanterns, fans, or parasols). This light structure allows for teams to innovate in many ways. I've seen teams with special costumes that unfold to reveal a different color underneath; now that's a revolution!
Some teams also have support staff that help with carrying necessities such as water, medicines, etc. and manage the logistics and keeping the teams on schedule!
The last but most important element of the performance is the audience -- that can be you! Audience typically border the parade path, cheering on the dancers and lending their power. This exchange between the dancers and the audience gives us dancers the energy to do more! Power on!
To note: some stages have a panel of judges that reward extraordinary dances with medals -- but that's a topic for another day!
Other interesting references
Cheers!
- Daniel
