February Performance: Children's Seasonal Calendar ~Exploring the "Sasara Dance" Passed Down Through Generations~

"Kanagawa Traditional Culture Children's Calendar" will be performed on February 11th at the Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center Momijizaka Hall Foyer.
This performance was planned as a first step in passing on to future generations the wonderful landscape of traditional culture, including dances, customs, beautiful language, and songs that have been carefully handed down in our local communities. The goal is to convey its charm to as many people as possible and allow them to experience it in an enjoyable way.

The performance is divided into two main parts, based on the theme of "Four Landscapes We Want to Pass on to the Future."
In the first part, you can enjoy traditional performing arts that evoke feelings for one's hometown through songs and dances passed down in each region, as well as experience traditional culture firsthand, such as woodblock printing, local toys, and kamishibai (picture-story shows). In the second part, titled "Exploring Kanagawa's Scenic Spots Through Traditional Performing Arts," Enoshima, a scenic spot that Kanagawa Prefecture is proud of, will be the setting for stories that have been passed down through generations. Renowned artists active in the world of traditional performing arts will draw you into the magnificent world of folktales through Noh, biwa, koto, and other instruments, with storytellers providing guidance.

This time, we focused on the "Sasara Dance," a traditional dance from Kanagawa Prefecture that will be performed in the first act. Furthermore, we interviewed Takuro Suzuki, the choreographer, director, and dancer who is in charge of the choreography, composition, and direction of "SASARA," a performance that expresses the rich world of the "Sasara Dance" through contemporary dance. We heard some very interesting and fascinating stories.

Before that, let me give you a brief introduction to the Sasara dance.
The Sasara dance, which is still practiced in western Kanagawa Prefecture today, was popular during the Edo period and is said to be one of the roots of Bon Odori (Bon dance).
Although it once died out due to a ban and the Great Kanto Earthquake, it was revived while the memory of the dance remained, and currently, seven different Sasara dances, each with different lyrics and movements, are being passed down in cities such as Atsugi, Hadano, and Ashigara. (※There are various theories.)
The dance primarily consists of a circle dance, and instead of flutes, it uses a bamboo percussion instrument called a "binsasara," resulting in a very simple and rustic sound. In the past, it was danced by unmarried girls hoping to meet someone, and the lyrics depict encounters between men and women and romantic entanglements, as well as dances and songs that portray the charm and daily life of each region. It is a simple yet profound traditional performing art deeply rooted in the land and its people.
Currently, the dance is carefully preserved and passed down by preservation societies in each region, and in 2008, it was designated as a prefectural intangible folk cultural property as "Sagami no Sasara Odori" (Sagami Sasara Dance).

A scene of the Sasara dance in the early Showa period (provided by Hadano City Board of Education). It can be seen that the group is composed of young women.

Sagami Sasara Dance (Aiko Sasara Dance Bon Uta Preservation Society, 1994 / Provided by: Atsugi City Board of Education)

In the first part of this performance, you can enjoy two Sasara dances: "Sagami no Sasara Odori" by the Aiko Sasara Odori Bon Uta Preservation Society (Atsugi City), the Hase Sasara Odori Bon Uta Preservation Society (Atsugi City), and the Hadano Sasara Odori Preservation Society (Hadano City), and "SASARA" by the dance company CHAiroiPLIN, led by the aforementioned dancer and choreographer, Takuro Suzuki.
CHAiroiPLIN incorporates plenty of dialogue and onomatopoeia, and their "dance x theater" concept creates fun performances that appeal to all generations and defy conventional notions.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Let's hear from Takuro Suzuki to find out just how they will present this traditional Sasara dance.

Takuro Suzuki, founder of CHAiroiPULIN

■Please tell us what you felt after learning about the background of the Sasara dance.

First of all, I didn't know about the Sasara dance until I was offered this opportunity, so I did some research myself and also spoke with members of the preservation society.
What impressed me the most, or rather surprised me, was that the lyrics and origins of the songs differed from region to region. This is proof that the lifestyle and culture of each region are being faithfully passed down through songs and dances. I was genuinely happy to learn that there are people who are making an effort to preserve their way of life and feelings for future generations in this way.
Hearing them talk about how men and women met at the dance venues, and recounting the lives of people at that time as if they were reminiscing, I felt that it was the memories, smells, recollections, and atmosphere of that era, ingrained in generations of dancers, that allowed this dance to be passed down to the present day.

■Highlights of SASARA and the future of the Sasara dance

When creating this piece, we incorporated Tanabata, a festival that is included in the lyrics of Sasara dances from various regions, as its foundation. It is a custom where people gather together to make wishes in the unknown world of space, with its stars and the Milky Way.
It may seem impossible at first glance, but the belief in something embedded in the legend that wishes come true has kept it going to this day. I think it's important to preserve these old legends, folktales, and scary stories about monsters and spirits in our "memories." To do that, we don't just have to tell everything exactly as it happened, but we have to make them fun and interesting, or add a little ingenuity, so that they stick in everyone's memories and hearts.
Of course, it's important to preserve the original form as it is, and I think that's what we should do, but right now, passing it on to the next generation in that form is too difficult, or rather, I don't think they'll be able to enjoy it as it is.

So, in this SARASA, in true CHAiroiPLIN style, we've made the flowers and insects that appear in the lyrics into characters so that people of all ages can enjoy it.
When depicting human beings, including ephemeral things like flowers or insects can make them more appealing and allow the drama to be conveyed more effectively than depicting humans themselves.
Six characters—a dragonfly, a rapeseed flower, a pumpkin flower, and a grasshopper—dance at a colorful Tanabata celebration party. And they're not wearing kimonos, but hats, tailcoats, and party dresses. They rejoice in the various encounters they have there, and connect with each other through dance.

We're good at turning words into dance, so we interpret and digest the original form in our own way, then choreograph and color it. If even just a small percentage of the kids who see it become interested and want to learn about the original form, that's enough for us. We create the opportunity for them to learn.
I think that's how I'll be able to continue being involved in passing it on to future generations. So, regardless of age, I'd like everyone in the family to watch it.
I hope the fun songs and dances leave a lasting impression on everyone, and that maybe in 10 years, the kids will say, "Oh, that was the Sasara dance!" That would make me happy (laughs).
CHAiroiPLIN's dancing fairy tale "AZUKI" performance at Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center Studio HIKARI

■Please give a message to everyone who is looking forward to watching the show.

Above all, the Sasara dance is said to be the root of Bon Odori (Bon dance), and it was a dance that sought out encounters.
You're sure to have new encounters when you come to the theater.
SASARA is a story about the encounter between people who cherish the old and the new, and us who also want to cherish the new. We hope that those who come to see it will also come to the theater expecting to encounter something they've never experienced before. It might be a new feeling, or a new way of thinking.
I don't know exactly what it is, but I think I'll be a slightly different person by the time I go home.
I really hope you'll come with a willingness to challenge yourself and not be afraid of change. I'll be waiting for you!

Kanagawa Traditional Culture Children's Calendar for Fiscal Year 2021
[Date and Time] February 11, 2022 (Friday, public holiday)
13:00 - 17:30
[Venue] Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center Momijizaka Hall and Foyer
[Admission Fee] Free (Advance registration required)
*Some workshops require a fee.
[How to apply] Please apply using either method [A] or [B] below.
[A] Apply via the application form
[B] Apply by return postcard
On a return postcard,
① Please write the event name as "Children's Seasonal Events".
② Name (phonetic spelling), postal code, address, and telephone number of the applicant representative.
③ Program you wish to view
Choose from: both Part 1 and Part 2, Part 1 only, or Part 2 only.
④ Number of participants (including the applicant representative) *Up to 5 people
Please specify the following and send it to the address below.
Application address: 9-1 Momijigaoka, Nishi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture 220-0044
Prefectural Youth Center Hall Management Division, Children's Seasonal Events Section
[Application Period] December 9, 2021 (Thursday) - January 31, 2022 (Monday) (Applications must arrive by this date)
[Organizers] Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa Traditional Performing Arts Executive Committee, Kanagawa Prefecture
[Grant] Grant Program of the Regional Creation and Arts and Culture Promotion Foundation
FY2021 Japan Expo Innovation Project
[Inquiries] Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center, Hall Management Division
Phone: 045-263-4475 (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM)