Lecture Series | TAKARABUNE Dancing Mavericks Change The World

Takarabune is a troupe of young dancers of Awa-odori, a dance with a proud 400-year tradition from Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. They push the limits of this venerable traditional art with their aggressive and vigorous performance style that has been characterized as ‘a dance beyond Awa-Odori’. Their performances, from packed night clubs in Tokyo to sold-out theaters in New York and Paris, have generated enthusiastic followers globally, and the group has gained a reputation as the hottest Awa-Odori group (ren) in Japan. In this lecture, the members of Takarabune will share their life stories, their original inspiration behind becoming the first professional Awa-Odori dancers, how they maintain the delicate balance of keeping the tradition while breaking out of it, and most importantly, how they envision changing the world as ‘Dancing Mavericks.’ Toward the end of the lecture, the audience will be taught by the troupe how to move like mavericks and have crazy fun!

TAKARABUNE is a creative dance company that performs Awaodori, a well-known style of Japanese dance with a history of more than four hundred years. It was founded by Akira Yonezawa, native of Tokushima Prefecture, the birthplace of Awaodori. The members are mostly in their twenties, and many have more than fifteen years of experience. TAKARABUNE was the first in the Awaodori community to take this dance from its typical venues into a club for a one-man live show in 2009. Since that time, they have performed in 14 countries and over 38 cities. Although it is considered a traditional art form, these dancers challenge the boundary between “traditional” and “contemporary” with their innovative, passionate performances. Their participation in a number of events both in Japan and abroad has been followed with great interest by both fans and media alike.

Videos on YouTube
Awa Dance in Shimokitazawa｜TAKARABUNE’s Performance
TAKARABUNE Japanese Dance Performance AWA ODORI
Awaodori in Tokushima Japan｜Takarabune’s Performance
Japanese Traditional Dance "Awa Odori" Japan Expo in Paris

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