Canadian Spirit Holiday Services: Japanese Performing Artists in Canada: Columbia Elementary School, Penticton, BC, Canada

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Japanese Performing Artists in Canada: Columbia Elementary School, Penticton, BC, Canada:

On September 18, 2009 three professional performing artists (Akiko, Sachiko, and Kimiko) put on a traditional Japanese cultural performance at Columbia Elementary School in Penticton. Akiko and Sachiko started the show with a traditional Japanese dance and after the dance they taught the children how to do a traditional Japanese dance. The two Grade 5 classes had a lot of fun as they tied Japanese "hachimakis" around their heads and used the Japanese clappers to follow the music and dance steps. After the dance Sachiko sat down and played the Japanese "shamisen" (traditional Japanese guitar) before the students who found the instrument fascinating. Another performer, Kimiko, then showed the students Japanese "Nankin Tamasudare" which is a traditional street performance popular during the Edo Period in Japan (about 200 years ago). Kimiko made different shapes with the bamboo instrument and the children enjoyed guessing the shapes - a fish, Mount Fuji, a Torii gate, a blue jay, and Japanese and Canadian flags. Finally, the three artists together with our other Japanese guests taught the children how to make a Japanese origami pop gun which was a big hit!

The traditional Japanese cultural performance was huge success and the children and teachers at Columbia Elementary had a lot of fun both watching and interacting with the professional performers. We were not sure how a Canadian audience was going to react to such a traditional performance but they simply loved it!

We would like to thank the children and staff at Columbia Elementary for allowing the performing artists to demonstrate traditional Japanese culture and we would like to congratulate the students on being such a wonderful and participatory audience. Thank You!

We are accepting guests for 2010. For further information please send us an e-mail, and we will be in contact with you shortly. Thank you