仔牛近道

皆で大きなバスに揺られて3時間。熱海の会場は参加者約1000人が宿泊する大きなホテルです。参加者というのは、全国で民謡の保存と普及に取り組む踊りの先生ばかりで、今回は、8つの民謡を2日間で覚えて、それぞれの生徒さんたちに教えるための集中講習会ということでした。ホテルの3つの大ホールに参加者が分かれて、今回選ばれた8つの民謡の地元グループが見本として踊りを披露する、という内容。何度も繰り返し、会場を変えて踊り続けて2日間。慣れない浴衣もベテランのおばちゃんたちにしっかりちゃっかりお世話になりながら、何とか踊りぬいた2日間でした。会場の中に、子どもは（う）ただ一人で最年少参加者。ちなみに最高齢の参加者は98歳の方でした。

　帰りのバスで、一緒に参加した奈良田のおばちゃんの一人が声をかけてくれました。

「心配したけど、短期間でよーく覚えたねぇ。まぁ、私らが70年かけて踊っている踊りだからね、今回動きはしっかり覚えられたんだから、これから深みを出していけばいいよー」

それまで絶対ほめてくれなかったおばちゃんからの一言だっただけに、なんだか涙が出そうでした。（う）も奈良田にきた自分に少し自信が持てたかな。親子そろって、そっと奈良田への扉に手をかけた気分です。

（わ）






Narada-oiwake　#2


After a 3-hour-drive by bus, we reached a big hotel in Atami on 4th of June, where there were three large halls consisting of 1,000 participants in total. We got to know that most of those participants were the teachers of Japanese folk dance, and they came to this huge workshop to learn the selected Japanese folk dances including our Narada-oiwake. The participants were quite serious knowing their students were waiting to learn new folk dances. As for us, we were there to show how local people dance, which was quite a simple mission, but indeed it was tough as we had to keep dancing again and again for two days. Our costumes were Yukata, and aunties of Narada helped us to wear it. So, for two full days, we kept dancing and made it! By the way, Umeo was the youngest at the course of workshops, and the oldest was a 98-year-old woman from different folk dance group.

On the way back, inside our bus, one of the aunties from Narada said to us;

"We worried about you guys before, but you did quite well! Well, I have been dancing this Narada-oiwake nearly for 70 years, and you have just started. Now that you know the steps and movements well, it's time to add depth to them."

She was the one who never gave us any compliments during practice, so I was about to cry hearing her words. As for Umeo, I feel that now she has some kind of confidence being herself here. I think we have finally come to curl our fingers around the doorknob of Narada gate....

Wakana