Every year, the Japanese shine at the STUISA Multicultural Fair, and this year was no exception. Their display of passion and energy captivated Saturday night’s audience as they performed Soran Bushi – a traditional Japanese dance with a modern twist.
Soran Bushi is a fisherman’s dance that imitates the action of gathering fish. It originated in Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, but is now performed all over the country.
Dancers cascade across the floor with swift, strong movements, creating a whirlwind of red and black cloth. With knees bent, they shift their arms from side to side, chanting to the beat.
Though it’s a Japanese tradition, other members of the STU community took part in the performances as well. Out of the 14-member dance troupe, four were not of Japanese descent.
One of these dancers was STU alumni, Steven Lecky of Jamaica. As Lecky grew up, his father was a member of a Japanese society. Through this exposure, he fell in love with the culture and has built close relationships with Japanese students in the STU community.
“I really don’t care about separating myself from them. I enjoy being with them. I enjoy their culture, so why not be a part of their dance,” said Lecky.
While Lecky had danced Soran Bushi at the fair last year with the other Japanese students, it was completely a new experience for Emmanuel Rutayisire, a first year international student from Rwanda.
He said one of his Japanese friends asked him to join and it turned out to be a lot of fun.
“It was so much fun. At first, it was really difficult but everybody in the group was patient and was willing to teach me,” he said. “And everybody was speaking English for most of the time, so I felt really included.”
For Wakana Tsuji, a new international student from Japan, the fair was her first experience performing the Soran Bushi dance. She encouraged participation from students of diverse backgrounds and enjoyed the interaction with dancers of other cultures.
“I can talk with people, make friends and improve my English,” she said.
STU student Alyssa Peeler is familiar with Japanese dance, having studied in Sapporo, Japan with the St. Thomas Exchange Programme.
“It’s a very intense dance, but at the same time, it’s very beautiful and the movements are really nice, and even though it’s fisherman’s work, it is done in such a pretty way,” she said.
Rutayisire said he hopes this tradition at the fair continues even though few dancers from this year will be here next year.
“I had so much fun and got to know a lot of people because of this dance,” he said. “And I learned about Japanese culture, so I hope this continues next year and would love to do it again.”
