Rika Yamagishi

Nihonbuyo (a traditional Japanese dance) seems very foreign even for a native Japanese person, so I decided to go to see the practice simply out of curiosity. I never thought I would get into Nihonbuyo myself when first I popped into the studio in the summer of 2008. When I was there in the studio to watch other people practicing, Sensei (the master) casually invited me to try it myself. Very soon, I found myself focusing so hard to produce 'the lady like movement' as Sensei did in yukata dress. How could I mimic the movement of "gracefully let the flower petal of cherry blossom land on the palm"? Or, what was like to "warm myself by holding shivering hands over the hibachi brazier"? Every movement led me to recall or imagine the scenery and distinct seasons of Japan, and it was quite a new sensation.

Living and working in a faced-paced, competitive city of Hong Kong, sometimes I feel that I am becoming more aggressive, compared to when I was in Japan. Admittedly, practicing Nihonbuyo does not make me instantly feminine. Still, it's refreshing to spend once a week practicing a dance movement which puts so much focus on the beauty above everything else. Also, I think about the life and the people of ancient times from the scene, background or the emotions expressed by the Japanese classical lyrics or music, and it's simply interesting. Kimono is beautiful by itself, but it's even more beautiful when it's worn by someone who moves with grace. I hope I will be able to move more graciously someday.

In Konokai, members often participate in events and performance, and we help each other to deliver good performance to the audience. You will hear members talking in Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin or English, and to me, it feels like an extracurricular activity in school. The atmosphere is open and casual, but everybody is serious about making a great performance. I love Sensei's Japanese too. Please come and join us!

Kanyu Wong

For as long as I can remember, my body has always moved along to music.  Dance has been a passion of mine since childhood.   Through the journey of learning mainstream dances like ballet, tap, folk, bellydance and the like, my search for the one dance form that truly fits my spirit is Japanese dance.  It is through this art form that I have truly found my calling.  I first got involved when I was still a university student in Australia.  I was immediately hooked.  After coming back to Hong Kong, and some serious soul searching, I realised that this is one aspect of my life that I am reluctant to let go of. 

For me, Japanese dance is therapeutic, like poignant meditation.  Even though this is supposed to be a performing art where stories are unfolded for the audience, I am never truly conscious of others but the movements and the music.  When I am attuned to the dance, nothing else matters but the metaphoric entwining gestures.  I am bewitched into the world of love, lost and regret, of unimaginable beauty and breathtaking scenery.

Through Japanese dance, I am also being led to other endeavours, including Japanese tea ceremony and Japanese doll making.  Now, I realize that these different types of art form are inter-related and all complimented to my understanding of how to be a traditional dancer.

Jennifer Lai

Arts & Culture is always a fascinating thing to me!  

Like China, Japan is a country filled with history, art and culture.  My exposure to Japanese culture originated in the U.S. and Canada whilst I was living there.

After I came back to Hong Kong, it was through a Japanese neighboring friend when I began my journey of traditional Japanese dance and Japanese language. Hong Kong is a fast pace city, where convenience and efficiency has become part of life, but learning Japanese dance opens a whole new world of enjoyment and dedication.  Besides Japanese music, each stroke, each posture, each movement has meaning behind it to form these intricate dances. In addition, discipline, patience, and respect are virtues that I have learnt along the way.

As per my understanding, a dancer's job has an important role on stage which is to deliver the message of the writer to its audience and express its meaning through dance. Such performing art requires hard work, and sometimes a simple 5-minutes dance may take 6-months to practice, but there are always such an enjoyment and fulfillment in this process of learning. The thought of giving up had occurred at times but each new dance that was introduced, captivated me to continue.  

There are many things about the Japanese culture, the people and their way of thinking that I have experienced and it is a pleasure to share these interests with others. I hope to understand a lot more of their cultures and their mentality through learning its language and the traditional Japanese dance.

Jessica Han

I am a licensed Putonghua teacher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and mainly teach foreign students in CUHK. In the summer of year 2000, I began learning Japanese dance with one of my Japanese students and until now.  

I graduated from School of Dance in The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts where I've learned different styles of dances.

I have no knowledge of Japanese dance when I first started it. By looking at its movements and its steps, I thought it's much simpler compare with other dances.  However, it requires lots of imagination when do the actual dancing.  In addition, it's rather difficult to express each movement from your heart. By learning Japanese dance, I have a deeper insight between Japanese and Chinese cultures. Japanese dance is a bit similar to aform of Chinese musical drama called "Kunqu", not just the dance itself, it also include many other traditional Japanese cultures such as Nagauta (long song, a kind of traditional Japanese music), Shamisen (three-stringed musical instruments), Japanese drum, and as well as Kimono.

I've came to know my teacher Wakayagi Chika and many other people in Hong Kong who share the same interest as me after learning Japanese dance. Supports from everyone, caring from friends and learning Japanese dance has changed my life. In addition, even my Japanese has improved rapidly due to that.

I feel much relaxed and away from busy work schedules every time after learning Japanese dance. In addition, I have possibilities in experiencing different varieties of dances such as scenery and characters. 

Japanese dance is not just a dance, it is a traditional arts that cultivates one's mind.

Jessica ，香港中文大學普通話導師，主要教授外國學生。二千年夏與一位日本學生一起開始了日本舞的練習，幷堅持學習至今。韓晨宇畢業于香港演藝學院舞蹈系，在校期間學習過各種舞蹈。剛開始練習日本舞時，我對日本舞一無所知。與其他舞蹈相比，日本舞的動作看上去雖不複雜，但真正融入感情表達準確時却動作極其困難。練習後幷且讓我更深入地瞭解到中日文化的關係。日本舞有些近似中國的“昆曲”，不只是舞蹈，其中也包含了許多日本的傳統文化：長歌、三味綫、鼓、和服。。。
自從練習日本舞後，我認識了老師和一群志同道合的日本、香港朋友。大家的支持、朋友的關心、舞蹈的體驗改變了我的人生，連我的日文都因此而神速提高。
我練習日本舞後，不僅在香港的繁忙工作中能得到輕鬆的舒緩，同時跳舞時也有機會體驗到各種美景和各種人物的心情。日本舞不只是舞蹈，而且也是修身養性的一種傳統藝術。