08 Aug 2024
Posted by Theresa Oye 
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Minyo Workshop participants at JCAM centre in Winnipeg, June 21 to 23. Photo credits: Noriko Takahashi and Theresa Oye.
WINNIPEG — After the first Minyo Dance Workshop in Calgary in 2019, the plan was to hold another workshop in the next year or two. However, the pandemic had other ideas, and five years later, the second Minyo Workshop was held in Winnipeg, hosted by the Japanese Cultural Association of Manitoba’s Aurora Dance Group on June 21 to 23.
Groups from Hamilton—with one member who now lives in Nanaimo—Calgary, Lethbridge, and Edmonton flew in, and the dancers from Thunder Bay drove to Winnipeg. Instructor Jean Maeda, whose dancing name is Yoshiyanagi Suzukino, flew from Vancouver to join the Aurora Dance Group to teach, learn, and share ideas.
Participants meet and reunite at the meet-and-greet event.
On the first night, participants from the first workshop in 2019 were happy to reconnect and meet everyone at a meet-and-greet reception at the Holiday Inn Express. It was a wonderful first opportunity to get together and find our common love of the Minyo style of dance made us instant friends.
Each group brought an ondo (Japanese folk dance song) to teach the other groups. First up on Saturday morning’s session was Edmonton’s Wakaba-Kai, who taught us Dancing Hero, a lively dance that served as a warmup for the rest of the dances to come!
Edmonton Wakaba Kai.
Next were the Lethbridge Minyo Dancers, followed by Hamilton’s Suzuran Odori. Three new dances in two and a half hours certainly made the morning pass by quickly!
Before we knew it, we were off to the JCAM centre for their annual Bon Odori Matsuri.
After an afternoon of dance, karaoke, food, and games in the fresh air, everyone moved inside when the wind and light rain started. But, the Bon Odori continued, and after the last dance, it was back to the hotel for a well-deserved rest.
Bon Odori Matsuri at JCAM on June 22, 2024.
Sunday at the JCAM centre began with Jean Maeda sharing her knowledge of odori and teaching several ondos. As most of the participants were of a certain age, one particularly interesting tidbit of information Jean shared is that odori music and dance can be helpful in the prevention of dementia.
Calgary’s Kaede no Kai and Thunder Bay’s Fuji Dancers were next. As host, Winnipeg’s Aurora Dance Group taught the last ondo of the weekend.
The workshop’s hosts, Aurora Dance Group.
The weekend provided a unique opportunity for the participants to gather in Winnipeg to celebrate their dedication to this form of Japanese dance. While enjoying refreshments, participants got to know one another better.
Sharing and exchanging information about procuring costumes and accessories and learning where to find new Minyo was of interest to all.
A comment made repeatedly was that we were strangers at the beginning of the weekend, but by the end, we were all old friends. We came away having “learned” 12 new dances. To help us remember these dances, groups shared their music and steps with each other.
Before we parted for the weekend, those present all agreed there should be another workshop in two years.
We gratefully acknowledge support from the Community Fund of the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society.
Participants learning a new dance during the workshop.
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