Eisa Folk Dancing
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Eisa is a deep-rooted form of folk dancing seen around the island of Okinawa as well as on the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands. Eisa was originally performed to see off the souls of ancestors in a merry way after welcoming them back briefly in mid-August.
Nowadays, young boys and girls march through the streets during this period, dancing in the traditional style of their local areas to the beat of banging drums, singing, chanting, and whistling. Every year, on the first Sunday after the ancestors return, a big eisa festival takes place in Okinawa City, with teams chosen from all over the prefecture competing under the red-hot glare of the sun. Okinawan children take part in a variety of events and festivals in the hope of improving their eisa dancing.
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