(Watch the movies)
(Comic Relief)
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| The Dance Season |
| Representative Eisa (Watch the movies) |
| The Dance Form |
| Music Program |
| Buffoonery (Comic Relief) |
| Costumes and Instruments |
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Eisa is a traditional dance performed during the Bon festival, a three-day observance in Okinawa when ancestor spirits visit their families in the living world. There are a few theories on the origin of the word, the main one being that the name comes from the word "Esa" taken from the sentence "Iro Iro no Esa Omoro," mentioned in volume 14 of Okinawa's oldest book, "Omorosoushi." Originally an event of the Bon observance, where community young folks visit households and dance, the performers--following Buddhist hymns in the style of the Jodo sect--execute a Buddhist dance that is said to be the antecedent of Eisa. In mainland Okinawa, there are many words and expressions meaning "Eisa," varying in the southern, central and northern regions. The name "Eisa" is said to have derived from the dance's musical accompaniment. |
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