Traditional Okinawan dancing performance tomorrow

The Ichiban Club from the University of Macau (UM) will be holding its annual Ichiban Day tomorrow, featuring a traditional Okinawan folk dance called “Eisa,” which will be performed by a dancing group from the Japanese islands of Okinawa.
The day-long event, which seeks to deepen locals’ understanding of Japanese culture, will bring the Japanese dancing team “Ryukyu Kajimaya” – literally translated as “Okinawa’s windmills” – from Okinawa to Macau. The group’s performance will be divided in two 30-minute parts, one held in the morning and another in the afternoon.
The chairman of UM’s Japanese society, Jones Lam Chi Hang, disclosed to the Times in a phone interview that the almost self-sponsored group of around 30 dancers, which has performed in Taiwan and in other parts of Japan, would make its Macau debut. “We also welcome interested individuals from outside our school to come and enjoy the group’s performance, as it is rare to see authentic Okinawan dancing here in Macau,” said Jones Lam, who also emphasized that the local government should attach more importance to cultural exchanges and Macau-Japan interactions.
Vivian Lai Si Weng, former head of the Japanese club and also one of the dancers, told the Times that she took part in a exchange program to Okinawa in 2013, and it was then that she got to know “Okinawa’s windmills” project. She decided to invite the group to Macau for a traditional performance. “This is also another way to promote Japanese culture here, and they are all very willing to perform in Macau, even though they have to pay for the flights and accommodation on their own,” said the 22 year-old.
Besides the above-mentioned event, the club also organizes other seasonal gatherings and activities to increase the connection between students from Macau and Japan. Every year, around Christmas, there will be an end-of-year party where members of the club will come together to bid farewell to the year with games and drinks; this is called “Bonenkai” in Japanese.
Seasonal activities also include building a Japanese-style haunted house when Halloween approaches, and it is through this type of event that the club seeks to expand its activities and attract more members. In February, the club held a singing competition where contestants were only allowed to perform Japanese songs.
Japan’s internationally-renowned pop culture, modernization and hospitality were some of the reasons for the pair’s affections towards the country, prompting them to join the student society. Jones Lam told the Times that he felt motivated to spread Japanese culture across the city, given that he had, by the age of 18, already fallen in love with the Japanese culture and its language.
Traditional Japanese foods and desserts will be served during the event, where there will also be information boards promoting Japanese culture. The pair expressed hope that the event, which is one of the few activities in Macau that promotes cultural ties with Japan, could expand into a larger occasion provided that the club receives more financial grants from the university and the SAR government.  Staff reporter