After the round of ceremonies at Nakano Omoto Matsuri it was time for more dancing and first up was some very young kids dancing Hachiman.....
Bothe the 2 heroes and the 2 demons were very young kids and they did a really great job...
Next up a couple of older kids danced Shoki...
Then to the other end of the age scale.... an elderly gentleman danced the first part of Yachimata. This was the first time I have seen this dance and the only reference I can find to it says it is danced by Uzume and Sarutahiko. Yachimata is the crossroads between the High Plain of Heaven and Japan and it is here that Ninigi, Amaterasu's grandson, and his entourage meet Sarutahiko on their derscent from heaven to begin their rule of Japan. This old gentleman is obviously not Uzumne, so maybe he is Ninigi.....
The second part of the dance belongs to Sarutahiko....
A break from the theatrical kagura brings us to the Four Swords dance. I have read that originally this dance and Kenmai were once the same dance but then split into 2 separate parts.
The dance increases in tempo and excitement and the audience is well aware when difficult, acrobatic sections have been performed well.....
It was around 2am and there was lots more to come but I was suffering from a bad cold so took my leave early.....
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