There are many kinds of dance all over the world.  And on a TV program,  we sometimes look at people in a foreign dancing wearing their traditional  at their festival or such kind of special event.  Therefore I strongly agree with the statement that danceing is important for culture.  In this essay, I would like to explain the relationship between dancing and culture in more detail mentioning my country's dance.

 

 I am Japanese and there are several kinds of dence in Japan.  Among them traditional dance is the typical example that shows us the intimate relationship to Japanese culture.  In Bon festival, Japanese traditional festival which is hold on August 14th, 15th and 16th, we do the Bon Festival Dance, special dance which Japanese people do wearing traditional clothes, Happi wear or Ukata.   Japanese folk songs, on which we do the Bon Festival Dance reflect our culture.  Depending on area, people use different kinds of folk songs.  Some of them are song of farmers and others are that of fisherman. 

 

  Although present Japanese lead such a westernized life that we seldom wear Japanese traditional clothes, such kinds of dance is very important for us.  It is because the opportunity to touch Japanese traditional culture by going Bon festival and dancing make us realize that we have our unique culture. 

 

   Now in Japan, new type of dance, Para-Para and Trans, which people do at disco called "Kurabu" is very prevalent.   These dance also have close relationship to Japanese culture.  Adapting foreign culture to make new things is remarkable point of Japanese cultural things. Para-Para and Trans are the result of the adaptation of foreign things and creation of new culture.   These dances accompany Euro beat, American music but the dance itself is devised in Japan.  There are lots of complicated ways of dancing Para-Para young people especially girls learn it on TV program or special lesson done in some places.  When I was a student, I frequently looked at many young people wearing eccentric costume for these dance near my university, since, there were several Kurabu near my university and young people gathered to dance there at night to spend dancing overnight.