A Sneak Peek at Upcoming Events!

My upcoming lecture will be held this Spring, and will be announced soon.

Please stay tuned to my website's dance column and blog!

This is a sneak-peek photo prior to my makeup lecture:

This photo is copyright Larry Fisher 2012, all rights reserved.

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This is also a sneak-peek announcement for this year's Long Island Sakura Matsuri,
at which I will teach an Okinawan folk dance to children

as a special program on May 5th, which is Children's Day in Japan.

Please join my folk dance lesson on May 5th
in the Wang Center at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

My Brunch Talk

I cooked a Salmon steak and vegetable stew with squash, string beans and dried cranberries for dinner.
The dinner menu took about 20 minutes to cook.

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Today, I received a package from a Kimono store in Okinawa: 

今日は、沖縄の衣装屋さんから荷物が届きました。

オーダーメードの着物は、仕上がるまで一ヶ月ほどかかるのです。

やっと3月の舞台公演衣装が揃いました。一安心！

Performance Preview Part Three

Today I am going to introduce photos of the Ryukyu Koku Matsuri Daiko to preview my stage program on March 17th. 

The Ryukyu Koku Matsuri Daiko performances are becoming quite popular on the main island of Japan, as well as internationally. The Ryukyu Koku Matsuri Daiko  琉球国祭り太鼓 is a kind of bon festival dance, like other Okinawa Prefecture folk dances in which the dancers carry and play Taiko drums as they dance; however, the Ryukyu Koku Matsuri Daiko's drum dancing is uniquely choreographed with specific forms (Kata-incorporated Karate forms) and specific music for each performance. 

Ryukyu Koku Matsuri Daiko will perform Miruku Munari, Ku-daka and Ashibina.

Please join our performance and see exciting-and-energetic drum dancing!

July 4th, 2011 Independence Day Parade in Philadelphia

Photos were taken by Junko Fisher.

Folk Dance Lesson Day

I went to the NY Buddhist Church yesterday afternoon to teach Okinawan folk dance to the members of the Japanese dance school there. We will demonstrate several folk dances including Tokyo Ondo, Tanko Bushi and Okinawan folk dance at the finale of the Sakura Fest on March 17th.
Please join folk dances!

NY Buddhist Church on 105 Street, Riverside Drive, New York City

Franz Seigel's statue on 106 Street, Riverside Drive New York City.

 He is facing the Hudson River.

It is so much fun to go to Manhattan. There are interesting historical buildings

monuments in every places.



昨日は沖縄盆踊り指導のためニューヨーク仏教会に行ってきました。

３月１７日ニューヨーク自然史博物館の桜フェスタイベントの

フィナーレとして

日本舞踊家たちにまじって民舞を披露します。

民舞の時間帯は４時１５分から５時までです。

My Brunch Talk

Happy Weekend!

Actually, this brunch took more than 15 minutes to make, even though I usually take just 5 minutes to cook for brunch.
I am not a trained chef, but I like to cook. Today's menu included Chikuzen-ni (Gobo, Daikon, Ninjin, Shiitake, Taro Imo and Chicken), salad and tofu fry.

By the way, today I am going to teach Okinawan folk dance to Japanese dance members in Manhattan. It seems like I'm working constantly lately, but it should be fun.

Please enjoy your weekend!



Preparation of Props and Make Up

                        I am rehearsing make-up and hair dressing today, and took some pictures.

Far right: hair extension, silver hair accessory

Center top: Gold flower

Center top: Koutate

Far left: Basara

Bottom: Gold and silver fan

These props are worn for Wakashu Kuti bushi dance (court dance).

  

Blush, base foundation, pink foundation,

pink eye make up, pink water-based powder,

white water-based powder,

black eye shadow, lip sticks.

I use four kinds of brushes.

I carry small mirror when I travel for a performance.

  

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A delicious chocolate box got from my student

at last Tuesday's lesson.

Thank you! The dark and milk chocolates are delicious!



Performance Preview Part Two

This is the performance review part two for the upcoming stage performance on March 17.

The opening dance is a court dance called Wakashu Kuti Bushi.

The lyrics of the music are adopted from the Japanese tanka classic Kokinwakashu, and go, 

"Each year with the advent of spring, the pine foliage increases in beauty."

As the pine is an evergreen, the song carries the wish that human life be as eternal as the pine's greenery.

This celebratory dance was performed at the Royal Court to open celebratory 

events during the Ryukyu Kingdom Era.

Wakashu Kuti Bushi (Japanese: Wakashu Kotei Bushi)

Wakashu, the term for young boys, refers to those who

have yet to undergo the coming of age ceremony and are 14 or 15 years old.

This photo was taken by Larry Fisher, who holds its copyright.

Therapy

I am so busy lately with preparations for my upcoming stage performances.

 I felt tremendous pain in my back and neck last week. As matter of fact, I hadn't seen my acupuncture doctor in an entire year. I have been kind to my body and maintained it in good condition; besides, every few months, I have been using another type of body therapy called sports massage.

I'm very grateful to my Chinese acupuncture doctor. After taking his treatments twice last week, I can get back to my typical practice routine this week.

Please enjoy the week everybody, and take care of yourselves!

Bird Land

In the middle of winter, it was like a typical morning of spring here in my backyard with many birds  singing.

The place where I live is next to the Ally Pond Park, the biggest park in the New York City.

We hear birds singing all year around.



Performance Preview Part One

I am going to introduce a part of the dance and music program which will be performed on March17th at the American Museum of Natural History. Bellow is a dance photo of the Shoshun No Mai dance.

３月１７日ニューヨーク自然史博物館での舞台公演に向けて

これから５週間にわたり演目などを紹介していきたいと思います。

舞台では

古典舞踊、雑おどり、創作舞踊、サンシン民謡歌、琉球国祭り太鼓演舞など、

幅広い沖縄伝統芸能を紹介いたします。

本日の演目紹介は

創作舞踊「初春の舞」です。

練習風景写真

The photo was taken by Larry Fisher.

来週の公演情報第弐段もお楽しみに！



Full Moon

After I sent off my student after the dance lesson, I took pictures of the full moon from my home.

昨日、お稽古の後生徒を駅まで見送り家にもどるとこんな月が、満月の夜でした。

今日は、昼間のクラスと夕方のクラスがあります。

生徒もわたしも踊れるってことは幸せなこと。

今日もまたよい一日でありますように！

Movie Night

I went to see the movie "Hugo" tonight.
This is my prediction that Martin Scorsese, the director of the movie, will receive an Oscar in the best movie chategory. It is a 3D movie, and I recommend everybody to see Hugo. 

Woodbury Theater, Long Island

I like to see movies at the Woodbury theater. Their chairs are so comfortable!

On the way home, we went to a Mexican restaurant called CozyMel.

Photo Shooting at the Museum

Today was a photo shoot day, in a studio at the American Museum of Natural History. I have been invited to perform there on Marh 17th, and they asked me to allow them to shoot my photo for their promotional postcard for the event, which is part of the SakuraFest being held March 14-17, 2012.

I drove into Manhattan today, and shot some photos on the way to the Museum.

From Long Island Express Way

A View From Queens

62nd St. and Lexington Avenue

Between Madison and Park avenues

Park Avenue

Madison Avenue

Fifth Avenue (59th Street)



Fifth Avenue

Columbus Circle

Central Park West (62nd street)

American Museum of Natural History (front entrance between 80th and 81st streets)

Museum (80th Street side)

Photo studio and photographer

After the shooting was over, the photographer took this picture with my camera.

今日は、ニューヨーク自然博物館のスタジオに写真撮影に行ってきました。
３月１４－１７日開催予定のJapanFestイベント宣伝用ハガキに載せるんだそうですが、
カメラマンの方１００枚ほどわたしの写真をパチパチ撮っておりましたがどんなハガキに仕上がるのでしょうか楽しみです。

クイーンズの家から博物館まではドライブしながらマンハッタンの景色を撮影してみました。
ロングアイランド高速道路から眺めるマンハッタンのパノラマはいつもながら最高でした。



Junko's Brunch Talk

Happy February!
Today's 5-minute brunch meal is meat pasta with fruit and vegetable salad.

My Pink Christmas Cactus has just bloomed. My red Christmas Cactus bloomed last October.
I thought each Christmas cactus blooms during a different holiday season.

とうとう２月になってしまいましたね。

我家ではいまピンクのクリスマス・カクタスの花が咲いています。赤い花のクリスマス・カクタスは昨年１０月ごろに咲いていました。花の種類によって咲く時期が違うようです。