Lithuanian, Japanese choirs linked by jiutamai

A performance in Lithuania of the traditional Japanese dance form jiutamai in 2012, the year following the Great East Japan Earthquake, led to three years of work towards this Japan visit by a Lithuanian girls choir. It is not difficult to imagine that the heartfelt sympathy of the Lithuanian people for the unprecedented devastation wrought by the earthquake is not unconnected with their own painful experiences during the long, cruel Soviet occupation of their country. The enthusiasm and commitment of Tokijo Hanasaki, who has long made strenuous efforts to introduce and popularize jiutamai around Europe, and not least in Lithuania, were factors in achieving this Japan visit by Lithuanian girls who embraced a strong attraction to Japan. The ties of friendship that developed through these exchanges will surely persist well into the future.

Date:

25-30 Jul. 2015

Artist:

Lithuanian Girls Choir ”UGNELE”