The New York Tachibana Dance Group held its annual dance recital yesterday, 21 June 2009. It was a flurry of activity with all the dancers dressing upstairs and the volunteers constructing the stage. With the help of Bob Moribe, Brian McGurgan, Marc Grobman, and others, the stage, lights, and sound worked flawlessly.
All in all, the kids stole the show. The littlest girl, Cocoa Yamamoto, started the recital with a solo dance (Musunde Hiraite). Daniel Mori joined her for Shojoji and he had his own solo (Momotaro). There are four young girls dancing with Tachibana these days—Mari Kubota, Nanami Kubota, Alissa Mori, and Moie Uesugi. They started just two years ago but they’re advancing so quickly! Their dances (Sakura Kamuro, Hataori, and Soran Bushi) were fantastic! Sometimes I forget how young Keiko Higashikawa is, since she’s taller than most of us, but she was really amazing (Fujimusume).
While we weren’t as cute as the kids, the adults held their own: Chris Brunner (Shichifukujin), Barbara Bell, Kazuko Brooks, and Akemi Ishida (Momiji no Hashi), Wynn Yamami (Ageshio), Katie Takahashi and Katherine Small (Jurakumai), Barbara Bell (Hibai no Fu), Samie Tachibana (Makasho), and of course, our teachers Sahotae and Sahotoyo Tachibana (Ogi no Shiki).
Tachibana 2009
