10,000 participants join biggest ever Awa Odori circle dance at World Expo in Osaka
The Tokushima Prefectural Government, which is taking part in the Expo as a member of the Union of Kansai Governments, staged the event under the "World Dance Day" theme.
The dancers, divided into nine groups, showcased their Awa Odori performances on stage in turns. Visitors were captivated by their dynamic and graceful moves synchronized to "Zomeki-bayashi" music played with Japanese flutes, drums and other instruments.
During the finale on the night of May 3, all the dancers gathered at the Expo Arena "Matsuri," an outdoor venue which holds 16,000 people, to attempt the largest circle dance in history. As they expanded the circle by involving the audience, it ultimately formed a single large ring, symbolizing the Expo's iconic wooden structure, the "Grand Ring." According to the Tokushima Prefectural Government, the number of participants in the dance eventually grew to 10,000.
Minoru Yamada, 71, from the Awa Odori Promotion Association, who also performed at the World Expo in Osaka back in 1970, reflected, "Dance needs no words. Watching it expand and become one big circle was amazing."
(Japanese original by Yoshihiro Yamamoto, Tokushima Bureau)
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