Dances of Japan

Geisha

Geisha (芸者?), Geiko (芸子?) or Geigi (芸妓?) are traditional, female

Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and
dance. Geisha, like all Japanese nouns, has no distinct singular or plural variants.

The word consists of two kanji, 芸 meaning "art" and 者 (sha) meaning "person" or "doer". The most literal
translation of geisha into English would be "artist" or "performing artist". Another name for geisha used in
Japan is geiko, which is usually used to refer to geisha from Western Japan, including Kyoto.

Apprentice geisha are called maiko (舞子 or 舞妓, literally "dance child") or hangyoku (半玉), "half-jewel"
(meaning that they are paid half the wage as opposed to a full geisha), or by the more generic term o-shaku
(御酌), literally "one who pours (alcohol)".

Maikos' white make-up and elaborate kimono and hairstyle is the popular image held of geisha. A woman
entering the geisha community does not have to start out as a maiko, having the opportunity to begin her
career as a full geisha. Either way, however, usually a year's training is involved before debuting either as a
maiko or as a geisha. A woman above 21 is considered too old to be a maiko and becomes a full geisha
upon her initiation into the geisha community. However, those who do go through the maiko stage can
enjoy more prestige later in their professional lives.

Noh

Noh (能 Nō?), or Nogaku (能楽 Nōgaku?)[1] is a major form of

classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are
masked, with men playing male and female roles. The repertoire is normally limited to a specific set of
historical plays. A Noh performance often lasts all day and consists of five Noh plays interspersed with
shorter, humorous kyōgen pieces.
While the field of Noh performance is extremely codified with an emphasis on tradition rather than
innovation, some performers do compose new plays or revive historical ones that are not a part of the
standard repertoire. Works blending Noh with other theatrical traditions have also been produced.

Dances of china

Dragon dance
 Dragon dance (simplified Chinese: 舞龙; traditional Chinese: 舞
龍; pinyin: wǔ lóng) is a form of traditional dance and performance in Chinese culture. Like the lion dance it
is most often seen in festive celebrations. Many Chinese people often use the term "Descendants of the
Dragon" (龍的傳人 or 龙的传人, lóng de chuán rén) as a sign of ethnic identity, as part of a trend started
in the 1970s, however the true derivation is from (農的傳人) i.e. the descendants of Shennong, the
legendary first king of the Chinese people who taught them agriculture, law and medicine, the foundations
of civilization.

Yangge

Yangge (Chinese: 秧歌; pinyin: Yānggē), or "Rice Sprout Song," is a form of Chinese folk dance
originating from the Song Dynasty. It is very popular in northern China and one of the most representative
form of folk arts. It is popular both in the countryside and cities in northern China. It is especially popular
among older people. Crowds of people go on street in the evening and dance together in a line or in a circle
head-to-tail.

Some dancers dress up in red or green, or whatever colorful costumes, and typically use a red silk ribbon
around the waist and swing the body to music played by drum, trumpet and gong. More people will join as
they see Yang Ge going on and dance along. Some dancers use props like waistdrum, dancing fan, fake
donkey and litter. In different areas Yangge is performed done in different styles, but all express
happiness.In the 1940s, the Chinese Communist Party adopted the dance as a means of rallying village
support, and is sometimes known as "reform yangge."

Er ren zhuan

Er ren zhuan (二人转) is a genre of local folk dance and song from Northeast China. It usually consists of
two people, a boy and a girl. They sing as well as dance, using folded fans or red square handkerchiefs
(which are twirled along as a song is performed) during the dancing portion. It is enjoyed by a majority of
uneducated rural Northern Chinese.

Er-ren Zhuan is now becoming better known in the rest of China, thanks to the fact that many er-ren zhuan
performers have gone to perform on TV, as well as act in TV serials. Zhao Benshan is perhaps the most
famous example.
 Dances of India
Aravana

Aravana muttu or arabana muttu is an art form prevalent among Muslims in Kerala state of south India,
named after the musical instrument of the same name, which is a drumlike instrument or made of wood and
animal skin, similar to the daff but a little wider and smaller.

This is a more difficult art than the duff. There are traditional and modern method of playing the aravana.
The traditional method is by sitting in a semicircle. The leader of the group will start singing and when the
initial song is over, the players will start to play folllowing the song of the leader and beating on the aravana
musically; others will beat in the same way by giving chorus to the song.Even thou the duff and Aravana are
two different types of arts, they are used inter changeably for the word duff and not Aravana. It is because
duff is more familiar than the Aravana.
Oppana

Oppana (Malayalam: ഒപന) is a popular form of social entertainment among the Mappila community of
Kerala, south India, prevalent all over, especially in the northern districts of Kannur, Calicut and
Malappuram.[1]

Oppana is generally presented by females, numbering about fifteen including musicians, on a wedding day.
The bride dressed in all finery, covered with gold ornaments and her palms and feet adorned with an
intricately woven pattern of mylanchi (henna), sits amidst the circle of dancers. She is the chief spectator
sitting on a peetam (chair), around which the singing and dancing take place. While they sing, they clap
their hands rhythmically and move around the bride using simple steps. Two or three girls begin the songs
and the rest join in chorus.[2]

Sometime Oppana is also presented by males to entertain the bridegroom. It usually takes place just before
the bridegroom leaves for the bride's residence where the Nikah (marriage) takes place or at the time he
enters the Maniyara.[3]

Harmonium, Tabla, Ganjira and Elathaalam are the musical instruments employed for this performance.
Only the Mappilapaattu will be sung on the occasion.

The word Oppana may have been derived from an Arabic form Afna. There are two types of Oppana, one is
Oppana chayal another is Oppana murukkam. When Oppana chayal is performed, they do not clap their
hands. If it begins with Chayal it would also end with Chayal only.[4]

Bhuta Kola

Bhuta Kola or Holy Spirit Worship is an ancient ritual form of worship

prevalent among the Tulu-speaking community in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada districts in Karnataka and
Kasaragod taluk in Kerala altenatively known as Tulu Nadu. It has close resemblance with Theyyam, a
ritual form of worship common among Malayalis of the North Malabar.

The coastal Karnataka is known for two great art forms, namely Bhuta Kola, a highly stylized version of the
ritual dance of the spirit impersonator and a fine tradition of Yakshagana, creating a world of divine and
supernatural beings with all the paraphernalia of costumes, make-ups, music, dance and dialogue.

Bihu dance
 The Bihu dance is a folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to
the festival of Bihu. This joyous dance is performed by both young men and women, and is characterized by
brisk dance steps,and rapid hand movement. Dancers wear traditionally colorful Assamese clothing.

The Bihu dance is performed in conjunction with traditional Bihu folk music, played with: the "dhol",
similar to a drum; the mohor singor pepa, a pipe instrument made from a buffalo horn; the tala, a cymbal;
the gogona, a reed and bamboo instrument; and the toka, a bamboo clapper. The songs (bihu geet) that
accompany the dance have been handed down for many generations. The subject of the lyrics ranges from
welcoming the Assamese new year to describing the daily life of a farmer, from historical references of
invasions to Assam to contemporary socio-political commentary in a satirical way.

The dance takes several forms among the different northeast Indian tribes, e.g., the "Garo Bihu dance" and
the "Khasi Bihu dance." However, the underlying goal of the dance remains the same: to express the desire
to feel both pain and happiness.

Dances of Philippines
Cariñosa
Cariñosa (Spanish pronunciation: [kaɾiˈɲosa], meaning the loving or affectionate one) is a Philippine dance of
Hispanic origin from the Maria Clara suite of Philippine folk dances, where the fan or handkerchief plays an
instrumental role as it places the couple in romance scenario.

The dance was originated in the Panay Islands on the Visayan Islands and it was introduced by the
Spaniards during their colonization of the Philippines. It is related to some of the Spanish dances like the
bolero and the Mexican dance Jarabe Tapatio or the Mexican Hat Dance that resembles the courtship
through the interpretation of the dancers in the process of dancing. The dance before was a Maria Clara
dance but because of its popularity it has so many versions around the Philippines. During the Marcos
regime, it was nominated as the next national dance in the country, but according to Philippine Information
Agency which is the official information arm of the Philippine Government (pia.gov.ph), the tinikling is still
the national dance but through textbooks in elementary in the Philippines, this dance is noted as a national
dance of the country. It is also a national dance for it resembles the shy and modesty of a Filipina.

Itik-itik
Itik-itik is a mimetic folk dance in The Philippines. It originated in the province of Surigao in Mindanao.In
Itik-itik (from the Tagalog word for "duck"), the dance steps imitate the movements of ducks among rice
paddies and swamplands, such as wading, flying, and short, choppy steps.

Itik-itik's current form originated in the Philippine towns of Carrascal, Cantilan, Lanuza, and Carmen, all in
Surigao del Sur.Other versions of the dance do exist, although the Itik-itik Surigaonon remains the most
pipular. These alternate versions are found in Visayas, Samar, Sibonga, Cebu, and Tibiao.

Tinikling

The tinikling is the national dance of the Philippines, according to the

Philippine Information Agency (pia.gov.ph). The tinikling is an indigenous dance from the Philippines that
involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in
coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles in a dance. The name is a
reference to birds locally known as tikling, which can be any of a number of Rail species; the term tinikling
literally means "tikling-like".[1]

Tinikling involves five steps; during the first four steps, the dancers dance opposite each other, and during
the last step, they start from the same side of the poles. The dance originated in Leyte among the Visayan
islands in the central Philippines as an imitation of the tikling bird dodging bamboo traps set by rice
farmers. The bamboo is also used as a percussive instrument as it is banged against the ground (or a piece of
wood to make it easier to hold) and each other in a pattern. The bamboo has to be closed hard enough to
make a sound, and the dancers must be quick enough to not get their foot (or feet) caught. As the dance
continues, the banging of the bamboo becomes faster and harder, the sound of the clashing bamboo and the
quickness of feet demonstrated by the dancers thrilling and awing the crowd. In the United States, this dance
had been altered into a four-beat rhythm to adjust to popular music. In some cases, it has been used in
conjunction with traditional Filipino martial arts to demonstrate fleetness of foot and flow of movement.
 Dances of Korea

Cheoyongmu

Cheoyongmu is a representative Korean mask dance based on the legend

of Cheoyeong (처용, 處容), a son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.[1] It is also the oldest surviving
Korean court dance created during the Unified Silla period. Cheoyongmu also has been considered as a
shamanistic dance because it was performed to drive off evil spirits at the end of the year.

Mugo
 According to "Akji" (악지, 樂志), two books from "Goryeosa" (고려사
高麗史) which describe the music of Goryeo dynasty, mugo originated from a government officer, Lee Hon
(hangul:이혼, Hanja:李混) during the reign of King Chungnyeol (reign. 1274 – 1308). While being exiled
to Yonghae (영해, 寧海), a coastal region in North Gyeongsang Province, Lee Hon one day made a large
drum of a log raft and played it while dancing. Later this dance was transmitted to the Joseon dynasty and
was performed at various events of the Korean palaces and local government offices.[1]

There has always been changes in the performance of "Mugo" per each time period since the Goryeo
dynasty. The performance was played by Gisaeng who was hitting the drum and singing the song of
Jeongeupsa (정읍사 井邑詞). As the number of drums changes, the number of Gisaeng also changes.
Depending on the number of drums, the name also changed to two-drum dance, four-drum dance and eight-
drum dance.