My Japanese Hobbies: Lesson Reports

I was really tired yesterday so I had a nap after work and I guess I misjudged the time I'd need to get ready so I was a little late to dancing, about 620 instead of 6pm. She didn't worry, though, I usually show up between those times, so it's not like I was committing a major faux pas or something.

Kitsuke
I used the padding this time. Two thin towels (with winnie the pooh on them from the 100yen shop) and a smaller hip pad (since I have a big round bum). The hip pad gave me a much better line in the back, but I don't know if the towels affected anything at all, really, other than how hot I got. The ties on my juban have to be lowered again. >.< Curse my curves sometimes!

I keep wanting to try a new obi she showed me 2 weeks ago, but I always get one of the ties either too long or too short. So she did something else instead. It probably has no name, but I love how you can just go crazy with hanhaba obi and do all sorts of fun things with them. As I was turning it around, I thought it had folded or something, so I was trying to fix it, but apparently it was part of the design. She had twisted it in the back (which became the front) one full turn (so that both sides were the same pattern) and rolled one of the edges to show the underside color. It was quite neat, actually, and I think I'm going to have to try it on my own sometime. I wish I had taken a picture.

I did have to ask where the fan went with the obi like that, though, since there isn't enough of the front wrapping to tuck a fan into. I just had to tuck it into the second layer, between that and my body instead. No worries.

Dancing
She didn't dance with me this time for Sakura Sakura. I had the stage to myself and she was on the side. I got better at remembering things in general, and keeping my knees together for the steps. Not as many "good works" and "very nices" this time. I kinda miss them, but I don't need them all the time. I'd rather refine what I can do to make it better than need her constant praise.

I did quite well if I say so myself. She's giving me head directions again, and smaller little things now that I have it pretty much down pat. I have to pause longer at the end (to allow for "all the photos") and then do the fan swirly bow thing and leave the stage. That one is easy and looks cute if there's several dancers. I have to get her to show me the more difficult one again but yesterday's lesson was short on time so I didn't want to rush it.

Kokoro
I asked why I wasn't allowed to smile for dancing, and she said it was because the feeling must come from your heart and not your face (if that makes sense). You must show what you feel with all of your body, leaving your expression calm, so that the focus is on the dance movements. I thought that was interesting. A little contrast to synchro where you're supposed to have a smile plastered, but it's ok. I'm too busy concentrating to worry about smiling anyway. :P

She also commented that I could dance Sakura Sakura in furisode! I thought that wouldn't be possible due to where the sleeve was held, but all I'd have to do is hold it in a slightly different place. This makes me happy.

Hanagasa Ondo
After dancing Sakura Sakura a few times she showed me the new one, Hanagasa Ondo [花笠音頭]. Hanagasa is a flowered hat that looks like this:




Hana [花] = flower
Kasa [笠] = (bamboo) hat, shade
Ondo [音頭] = workmen's songs, marching songs

In doing a bit of searching, apparently it's a dance from Yamagataken, also in Tohoku. They have an annual Hanagasa Festival. It's a dance that's mostly performed with a lot of people - it looks a little strange on it's own since it's got such a festival feel. Here's a little bit of information about it:

The Hanagasa (flower-hat dance festival) is one of the 'Big four' festivals in Tohoku. The huge parade takes place along Nanoka-machi dori (10 minutes walk from Yamagata station to the start) on the evening of August 5th, 6th and 7th each year. The parade consists of thousands of performers dancing to the Hanagasa-ondo, said to represent farmers harvesting safflowers. The dancers are interspersed by various floats of drummers and performers.

Song History

If you want to hear a version of Hanagasa Ondo (and maybe sing along?), go here.

This page might have a little video with it if you click the cartoon lady with the hat. I can't tell since this compy doesn't have all the codecs and stuff and since it's the work one I'm wary of downloading stuff.

I only ran through the dance a few times since we didn't have all that much time, but it's lots of fun to do. I can't get the right steps all the time, but once I do, I think it'll be easy since it's repeated several times. Swinging the hat around is fun - it's just got a great "have fun" atmosphere. There's even a little dance step in it that reminds me of the twist! Very entertaining.

Videos
I was going to video today with my digicam, but it was a bit rushed, so I figure I'll do it soon. I have to be filmed doing Sakura Sakura as part of the deal, though, too. >.< But she will let me take videos of her doing the dance, the walking, and the fan work, so that will be cool. She says it's hard learning from videos since they're opposite, but I think it could be done. I might ask her to send me videos now and then, and I'll practice, and then film myself and send it back to her so she can correct me and stuff. A bit tedious, though. I wish I were going to live in Toronto which has a Nihonbuyou class.

Other Kimono
I asked if I could order kimono next month for dancing, but she said that price is actually only for the kiji - not the entire kimono! But getting kimono sewn in China or by Chinese and Korean immigrants is cheap, wherease Japanese sewn kimono are expensive. So she went upstairs and brought down a few of her polyester kimono from a shop in Lapia in Hachinohe. They are L size. I didn't think they'd fit me, but they do - just barely. They're the same size as my currently polyester kimono. And they're much cheaper - already sewn at about 6000yen each. The polyester didn't feel as nice as mine, though, but for the ease of washing and worry-free wearing, I guess that's fine with me! I may just have to go there some time after the next payday.




Kimono Kitsuke Lesson
So, after dance I went right to kimono. I'm glad I had the car - it was snowing huge flakes, and I had stuff to carry, and I misplaced my scarf and mitts. I do have lovely red mittens from Oselle (my sensei thinks they're very nice), so I wore those. Thank goodness.

The Formation of "Nakaguki Kimono Gakuin"
Sensei had invented a new way to keep the collar back, and it works better than the old one. So she stitchripped out the old ties and put on this new one. It has elastic and then a non-elastic tie. They're sewn to about where the shoulderblades are. To use them, I pull down to get the collar where I want it (it's now open a bit further, as it's not pulling just in the back but on the sides), cross them around the front, pulling the elastic tight, then around the back, and around to the front again, where the ties are brought from under the topmost tie and then back around to where they're sewn to the juban, then pulled down, and then wrapped to the front and tied. I think. *lol* I just don't remember when I'm not actually doing it.

Best thing was my collar never moved. It usually loosens a bit when practicing fukurasuzume for the taikai since I'm moving around a lot and bending and things, but was steady. Yay!

I joked that since it's not "Sodo kimono" allowed it's now "Nakaguki Kimono Gakuin" and she laughed. XD It's because of the challenges of dealing with foreigner's bodies and kimono that she's come up with some really cool pieces for kimono wearing that are not made by other companies... I think she should market them or something! AHA! Maybe *I* will!

Accessories Suppliers?
Speaking of selling things, no luck finding kimono fabric suppliers yet (and I fricken LIVE in Japan right now, so this is really frustrating me), BUT sensei said she'd ship out all the Sodo kimono items I want and I can just pay her by money order or whatever it is, so I'm going to have to look into that. I shall pimp out my Biyo line, oh yes (that's the Sodo like of kimono accessories, I think). I LOVE my biyosugata to bits!

Taikai Talk
So, my first time today was 6:30! o.O But after that, my average is 7:30. I can't figure out why I'm so much slower this time around... who knows. I just don't know where I'm losing the time. I was having troubles with the "wings", but I was getting the front nice. I guess maybe I'm just tired of it and need a break. Sometimes it worked well, though, so that's ok. I hope it all comes together on Sunday. I'm a little faster than the other girl, but she had to entertain her sister so she missed lessons earlier this month. And I did it last year, so I'm a little more practiced.

We have to practice Saturday night in the hotel anyway. :P It's not in the same place in Shibuya (where the NHK hall is), so I probably won't have the odd experience of walking back to the hotel through trendy young Japanese and hearing them say "geisha" or "maiko" in wonderment (I was being escorted by 3 older Japanese ladies at the time, my hair was nihongami, and although I don't think I look Japanese, OR like a geisha/maiko, I guess the sight of a girl in furisode with fancy makeup and hair is rare enough even the Japanese can't help but be confused). I want to go to Asakusa and do some kimono and accessory shopping, but I don't think there will be time this time around. Only 3 hours or so after the event to kill time - I wonder if Sensei would like to go to TGIFridays. ^-^

Japan Day
I also practiced bunko a little, since I'll be wearing one with my komon tomorrow (Saturday) for Japan Day on the base, and probably tying it on other people as well. Dressing others is good practice. My first year I only helped with the kids since they are super easy to dress. But last year I helped with older people (no obis, though, since I just don't know that many bows!). This year she really wanted Michelle and I to help out - I think it's because she speaks very little English and we can talk to the Americans more easily. Sunny is thinking of getting kitted out in his kimono ensemble - I do hope he does!

At the end of class, I asked sensei if I could learn how to dress the mannequin in a wedding style or susohiki, just to learn, and she said yes. Yay!

So, I think that's it for now.