Ryukyuan Dance

As presentations of pastoral life in the Tancha hamlet of Onna Village, the performance involving young couples constitutes a wonderful Zo or popular dance performance.
The men carry oars, while the women hold baskets of woven straw (baaki) to carry the catch from the ocean waters. The light jazzy rhythm reflects the joy of a bountiful catch and all that it entails.
There are two basic melodic pieces used in the Tanchame, but the order in which they are presented differs from school to school. Generally, the Tanchame comes first, while secondly comes the Ichihanari Bushi in this overall celebration of the bounties of the ocean.
Both male and female are dressed in basaa or cloth woven from banana frond, worn high above the ankles in the style of young fisher folk. The implements used include oars and sieve baskets for the fish.
This dance vignette appears to have been choreographed in the mid-1890's. The rhythm, the movements, and the attire mark this as a stage version of a local folk song. It is considered the pinnacle of duet dances.