Sunday, September 1, 2019 at 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Yerba Buena Gardens (Esplanade)
773 Mission St.,
San Francisco, CA
A joyous celebration of departed ancestors, Bon is a
Japanese Buddhist festival that’s been marked for more than five centuries with
a traditional dance known as Bon-Odori. Held in conjunction with the 16th World
Buddhist Women’s Convention across the street at the Marriott Marquis, American
Bon Dancing – An Invitation to Dance features an array of traditional masters
including taiko pioneer and NEA Heritage Fellowship Awardee P.J. Hirabayashi,
Murasaki Ensemble koto innovator Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto, and Odori dance
expert Reiko Iwanaga, the leader of the San Jose Obon Odori Festival. San Jose
Taiko, one of the leading taiko ensembles outside of Japan, also performs.
American Bon Dancing incorporates both traditional numbers still performed in
Japan and more recent dances and songs created in the United States.
Cost: Free
