Iwate Prefecture in the Tohoku region of northeastern Japan is a place that experienced intense trauma in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. NAKA Dance Theater Co-Founders José Navarrete and Debby Kajiyama found community when their visit to support relief efforts that year led to their participation in Otsuchi’s annual two-day Kozuchi Shrine Festival. One of their tasks was helping move portable shrines to houses and shops to bring blessings to the homes and businesses.
Fascinated by the nuances and styles of singing, drumming and dancing, and touched by the ritual dances’ role in healing, the pair felt there was so much more to study. They needed more time to delve into the culture.
NAKA Dance Theater Founder Jose Navarrete dancing the Usuzawa Deer Dance at the Makibori Shrine Festival by Mr. Takanobu Mori, courtesy of Mr. Teruo Tobai.
“When we visited the homes, we lit candles, offered incense and people were dancing and crying — it was a very powerful experience,” shared José. “It was profound to see the power of traditional art practices and how they are a healing force for communities,” added Debby.
Having collaborated in making performance for two decades, when José received a JUSFC Creative Artist Fellowship grant last year to travel to Japan, it was a natural fit to invite Debby to join him.
Beginning with his own elementary school dances in Mexico City and choreographing quinceaneras, José has explored culturally-specific dance theater all his life. Experimenting today at his Oakland, California-based theater with art as a form of resistance and telling stories of social and political injustice, his work aligns with Debby’s practice of combining storytelling, visual art objects and dance to address social issues. She finds the movement of the body offers a unique form of expression that cannot be created in any other way.
Their artistic unity led to their return to northern Japan to study the Usuzawa Deer Dance they witnessed during their 2012 visit. From August 2018 to January 2019, they joined and studied with local community groups thanks to connections made through the International House of Japan and the Sanriku International Arts Festival.
Participating in the Kozuchi Shrine Festival was a central activity of their fellowship. They learned how to make elements of the elaborate costumes and observed the intergenerational unity of the festival, which has a rich history dating back more than 400 years. Here is a video of the Usazawa Deer Dance at the Kozuchi Shrine Festival in September.
Dear seated in line at the entrance to the shrine, with Mr. Chisei, one of the lead teachers at left. Photo by Takanobu Mori at Makibori Shrine, Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, courtesy of Usuzawa Deer Dance Director Mr. Teruo Tobai.
When the director of the Usuzawa Deer Dance group, Mr. Teruo Tobai, invited José and Debby to join intensive rehearsals for the festival, they asked if they should pay for the lessons. Mr. Tobai said he only asked that they interact with the youth in the group — to give them the opportunity to interact with folks from other countries.
Beyond gathering community members together, Mr. Tobai exemplified an inclusive philosophy that welcomed dancers from other parts of Japan to participate, and shared resources in the broader Otsuchi Deer Dance community such as a valuable machine used to shave “the hair” of the deer costume or extra wood for those who didn’t have enough to make their costumes.
José and Debby participated in three weeks of rehearsals six nights a week. They also learned how to make waraji (straw sandals) and how to shave the kanagara (hair) for the Deer Kashira (headpiece). They say the lessons they gained during their fellowship went far beyond those found in traditional classes with teachers.
“Our experience made us reflect more deeply about the role of dance and ritual in healing,” Debby explained. “We were inspired to think longer term, and with a broader perspective about the health of our communities because of the openness and kindness of Mr. Tobai and his community.”
“I never imagined this fellowship would lead to an evolving exchange with Japanese artists,” José added. “We will return again this year to participate in the festival, and I am exploring opportunities for them to visit America, and other future collaborative projects. We feel so blessed and grateful to JUSFC for this opportunity. We expanded ourselves.”
Learn more about Naka Dance Theater and follow José and Debby’s work at their website here and on social media: Facebook and Instagram. For more information about JUSFC’s Creative Artists Fellowships, visit our website here.