Structure of the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival Based on Dancers’ Careers and Perception Toward the Festival

<p>This study analyzes the participation of individuals in festivals as a career choice and their perception of festivals, using the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival in Japan as a case study. It also examines the structures of festivals representative of various local areas. The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival features a parade of Hanagasa dance. The dance teams are composed of members of local community organizations, schools, businesses, dance circles, and prefectural resident associations. Considering the careers of the dancers, they participate in this festival even while occasionally changing the organizations they belong to, entering further education, changing their addresses, or getting a job. Through participation in these various opportunities, the dancers develop multiple perceptions: a sense of belonging to the group and local area, confidence in their Hanagasa dance abilities, and images of the local area (e.g. Yamagata City or Yamagata Prefecture). These multiple elements of dancers’ perception of festivals encourage their future participation as members of different groups, even if the groups to which they belong change over time. Moreover, the various opportunities to participate in festivals during their life course and participation of both veterans and beginners within each group support dance learning for inexperienced dancers and contribute to the development of new dancers and maintain the standards of the parade. The festival serves as a support for participation by dancers, while also leading to the creation of multiple perceptions through a variety of opportunities.</p>