Highlight of the Ryukyu Dynasty Culture: Ryukyuan dance
Ryukyu buyo or Ryukyuan dance is one of the traditional performing arts passed down in Okinawa, and is designated as a national intangible cultural asset. Ryukyuan dance was developed as royal court entertainment of the Ryukyu Dynasty, and there are different kinds of dances such as female performance, which attracts audiences with its bingata (Okinawan fabric using a special dyeing technique) costumes and graceful movements, and other dances that include youth, elder, and pair dances.
From the Meiji era (from about 1868 onwards), the dances were available to the public, and while traditional classical dances carried on, other dances vividly expressed the lives and emotions of ordinary people, and a creative dance developed after the war established a new style of Ryukyuan dance.
Classical dance can be classified into various dances such as rojin odori (old people’s dance), wakashu odori (a dance for youngsters), nise odori (young people’s dance) and onna odori (female dance), and musicals called kumiodori. These performing arts were not created overnight.
The root of these performances is in performing for ritual events that have been in Okinawa since long ago. Many festivals are still actively held all over in Okinawa and many performances can been seen on such occasions. These performing arts can be called folk performances. Many movements from the choreography of these folk performances come from classical dance.
Okansen odori (performances to entertain envoys from China), which is an Okinawan classical dance, was established in the 18th century. The foundation of these performances was established with the help of others by Chokun Tamagusuku (1684 – 1734) who was the odori bugyo, or government official in charge of royal court entertainment, and they were later refined by other artists.
Zo odori (folk dance)
As the content of the dances followed a particular pattern, the new style of performance started to be requested.
Okansen odori or classical dance was created in the Ryukyu dynasty period whereas dances created after the mid-Meiji Era are called zo odori or folk dances.
Kanayo Amaka [Beloved Amaka Spring]
The choreography involves a couple exchanging a plant-dyed handkerchief which symbolizes love and a minsa woven belt that has patterns expressing eternal love. The sequence also copies the movements of playing with water with a dipper, which cheerfully depicts the flirtation between a young man and woman.
Ryukyuan dance, an important intangible cultural asset
Distinctive dances that have been artistically refined in the history and tradition of Okinawa were designated as a national intangible cultural asset on September 2, 2009.
Also, the Ryukyu Buyo Hozon Kai (Ryukyuan Dance Preservation Society) was recognized as the preservation organization of these dances.