Photo by Ryohei Oshiro

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s return to Japan from the U.S., a group of the prefecture’s most exquisite dancers will perform a diverse repertoire of Okinawan traditional performing arts accompanied by live music. Handpicked by the artistic director of the National Theatre Okinawa Michihiko Kakazu, the versatile artists will perform classical court dances and kumiodori developed during the period when the archipelago was an independent kingdom called Ryukyu (15th–19th centuries). The program also features popular fare from after the Ryukyu Kingdom’s end, such as folk dances (zo odori ), traditional ensemble music, and a short musical play from the Meiji era (the late-1800s). From the brightly-dyed bingata costumes to the island music’s iconic use of pentatonic scales, the history and heritage of Japan’s southernmost prefecture are sure to amaze audiences.