The Team
Yosakoi Dancers
Yui Tateishi
In 2018, in the summer of the first year of university, I experienced the Yosakoi Festival dancer for the first time with the "au team".I was invited by a friend from Kochi prefecture that I met at university, which was the reason for my participation.It was sometimes difficult to practice going to the practice area by bicycle with friends for a round trip distance of about 16km while continuing university classes, club activities, and part-time jobs.Also, I couldn't master the choreography easily, so I was called to practice supplementary lessons.However, every time I practiced, I could enjoy dancing.And I was able to safely reach the performance of the Yosakoi Festival while practicing with excitement and tension.In the actual performance, I truly enjoyed the Yosakoi Festival in Kochi.At the shopping arcade in Obiyamachi, during the dance, the audience fanned us with a "uchiwa" and said "Do your best to dance" and "The performance was good".When I performed the last performance at Otesuji Shopping Street at the evening festival, I felt emotional and lonely and danced with tears.What I noticed as a dancer is that the Yosakoi Festival is created not only by the people who participate in the performance but also by many people.I felt that summer in Kochi was "hot".
Minami Yoshimatsu
I'm a Synchro Simmer in Kochi, and I've only danced underwater. After I retired, I finally saw the local Yosakoi Festival live for the first time.There is a team that was shocked at that time. It was a team called "Honiya", and I was so captivated by the audience that I decided "I want to be one of the dancers of this team next year!"From that day on, I copied all the past performances of "Honiya" and continued to dance at home. I made my debut as a dancer with the "Honiya Team" in 2016, and danced with the "Honiya Team" in 2018 as well.The choreography of "Honiya" continues to change every day, and there are changes even during the main festival.This is because the team is always aiming for the best performance.Until just before the Yosakoi Festival, I was full of choreography rather than the fun of dancing. However, when I wore a cool costume and the roaring sound from the music car echoed in my stomach, I got goosebumps and my anxiety disappeared, and I was filled with glittering feelings, "I want the audience to see it sooner."It's almost like magic, and I don't remember during the performance.When the feelings and performances of the 150 dancers were synchronized, I felt that they would become a "group that captivates the audience." I am happy to be one of the dancers.I think Kochi's Yosakoi Festival is to recharge the energy of the town and people of Kochi!
Sayaka Kataoka
I belonged to the Student Organization when I was in high school. Every summer, there are important competitions and trainings for the Student Organization, and the Yosakoi Festival has always been a viewer. However, in the spring of 2019, when I entered university, I thought, "I want to challenge what I want to do," so I applied for the YOSAKOI team "Hamacho Hana Kagura," which I have always admired. When I sent the application form, I was very nervous because it was my first time to participate, and I felt a great passion for just one application form. In the summer of 2019, I made my debut as a dancer as a member of the "Hamacho Hana Kagura" team."Hamacho Hana Kagura" is a dignified team with a "taste" that is characterized by choreography that incorporates elements of Japanese dance. Therefore, the choreography of the team has unique movements, and when I participated in the Yosakoi Festival for the first time, I practiced desperately every day until the actual performance.And on that day. I put my sleeves on the costumes of the team I was longing for and realized that I was finally able to become a dancer. And a lot of cheers, big music and lots of lights from the lead car taught me the joy of dancing. For me, the Yosakoi Festival in Kochi is a festival full of excitement and energy that makes both viewers and dancers smile.