DANCE THE TANKO BUSHI WITH US!
A Dance of Remembrance, Gratitude and Joy
Dance the "Thank you Japan! (Arigato Japan!)"
Tanko Bushi at the Olympics & Paralympics
& Around the World!
How to Participate
The Tanko Bushi ("Coal Miners dance") comes from a Japanese Obon Festival that welcomes the spirits of our ancestors and loved ones with folk dancing and taiko drumming. Tanko Bushi is a simple dance of remembrance, gratitude and joy, expressing our universal, shared humanity.
A Tanko Bushi dance at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
People of multi generations and diverse heritages join the Tanko Bushi and quickly learn the dance steps of shoveling coal, throwing coal, wiping the brow, and pushing the cart. This tanko bushi took place in the 'Global Village' of Seabrook, New Jersey, USA
Tanko Bushi Music. (Unmute to hear the audio).
TWO OLYMPIC MEDALISTS who had also competed in the Tokyo Olympics, dance the Tanko Bushi expressing Romanian athletes' gratitude to Japan.
The World Thanks Japan
Invitation for everyone to dance Tanko Bushi at the
2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics
and onwards to the
2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics!
Vision and Proposal: In gratitude and appreciation to Japan for having hosted the 2020 Tokyo Games during the difficult times of COVID, the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics Closing Ceremonies include a beloved Japanese folk dance, Tanko Bushi (“The Coal Miners Dance”), The dance will also honor the 'Olympians' in our lives, and the Olympic spirit of friendship, fellowship and peace among all people.
Tanko Bushi shall be danced by athletes on the field, fans in the stands, and everyone around the World wherever they are – the whole Planet dancing! And for three and a half minutes, "The World Will Be As One" -- from 'Imagine' by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. People will also dance Tanko Bushi on their own, spontaneously throughout the Games, in Paris and worldwide.
This dance from a festival honoring the spirits of our ancestors, brings everyone together in peace and joy. In this, Tanko Bushi embodies the Olympic spirit, and the spirit of all Humanity.
Tanko Bushi is not presently included in the official Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies - this is a proposed expression of gratitude and appreciation by the Olympic and international community.
Update:
Many participants at the 2024 Paris Games - supporters, athletes, staff and volunteers - danced the "Arigato Japan!' Tanko Bushi throughout the Olympics and continue to do so through the Paralympics. Though Tanko Bushi has not (yet) appeared in official 2024 Paris ceremonies, there is now a strong foundation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympicsto honor the "gaman" and "ganbare" spirit of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Team of volunteers, staff and citizens to persevere and serve the Olympics and Paralympics at one of the most difficult and challenging times in human history.
Dance the Tanko Bushi at the Paralympics and onwards to Los Angeles!
FROM FRANCE TO JAPAN: Members of the welcoming team for the Paris Olympics dance the Tanko Bushi as a gesture of appreciation to everyone in Japan for their efforts in hosting the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics during the COVID pandemic. And today, in 2024, we appreciate all the Paris Olympic and Paralympic volunteers, staff, officials and citizens!
FROM JAPAN TO FRANCE: Clenty Yasufuku, a volunteer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when he was 86 years old, expresses Japanese people's appreciation of France's support during their Games and good wishes for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Though Clenty and the Paris welcome team were thousands of miles apart, they were together in the Olympic spirit, dancing Tanko Bushi. In 2020, Clenty (now age 90) was one of thousands of dedicated Japanese Olympic volunteers eagerly anticipating people from all countries coming to Japan when Covid hit, and the world was shut out. However, the pandemic did not stop him from fulfilling the Olympics desire for people to come together. Clenty helped Japanese students and a boy in Kenya meet virtually to learn about each others’ cultures and share their interests in video games & football. For more of Clenty's joie de vivre Obon festival dancing: https://youtu.be/T-fF_nfroFg?si=kaAJqtHYR3ZYIvTj Further Q&A with Clenty: Was the attire you had on when you danced the Tanko Bushi, your volunteer's uniform for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics? --Yes, it was. What was the name of the Bon odori where you danced the Tanko Bushu (or who organized/hosted the festival?) --The Name: ”Kyonan Bon Odori” Organized/Hosted: Kyonan-cho Community where I live; i.e. Kyounan-cho, Musashino-city, Tokyo, Japan Did you make a special request to get onto the dance platform? --No. I did not. Anyone can get onto the platform. If there was no Covid and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics had gone on as planned, what was your role as a volunteer? --My role (as CITY CAST) was to guide visitors from overseas to where they wanted to go and do sightseeings and the like. Do you remember how you felt when you were selected as a volunteer (what were the requirements?) --I was so elated and determined that I would do my best as a CITY CAST was required to do. (Requirements: There were no rigid requirements. They gave us quite a freedom except that they asked that we be active for a few days a week and that we take ample rest between the volunteer hours. Do you recall your feelings when you learned that Covid had impacted the Olympics and your volunteering would not be required? --I was very much disappointed. But you had to tide the difficulty and tide over with it. Now, looking back, do you have any thoughts or reflections on that time and the Olympics, or anything else that is meaningful to you and would like to share with people who are attending the Olympics now? --In any circumstances, one should adapt oneself with the situation one is surrounded with. I thought that I would do volunteer activities when the next opportunity arises. Much appreciation for sharing your thoughts, Clenty, --Merci beaucoup! Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité Vive la France! Vive Paris! Clenty
Tanko Bushi at the Paris Paralympics
The Paralympic community joins the "Arigato Japan" dance!
A MULTI-NATION VOLUNTEER GROUP'S Tanko Bushi attracted students after an Iran vs. Egypt Sitting Volleyball match that included the second tallest man in the world. The diverse volunteers were from the USA, Brazil, Spain, Columbia and Mexico. The Latin energy led to a post-dance conga line!
2024 PARALYMPICS VOLUNTEERS SET OLYMPIAN STANDARD! The volunteers at the Olympics have been extraordinarily energetic and engaging with the public. After the Para Swimming events at Paris La Defense Arena, the volunteers formed a corridor celebrating and cheering the fans coming through as they exited the venue. The Tanko Bushi had to join in, and though volunteers joined the dance!
CHATEAU DE VERSAIILLES was the venue for Equestrian Dressage, and this group of diverse French attendees paid Tanko Bushi tribute to Japan, to to the Paralympics, and to the beautiful historic site.
FRENCH STUDENTS LEARN JAPANESE AND ENGLISH while dancing Tanko Bushi after the Para Triathlon finals in and along the Seine. "Push the Cart" and "Arigato!" are now in their vocaulary.
FANS FROM AUSTRALIA, GREAT BRITAIN AND MALTA came to support Anu on her World Para Triathlon tour and spreading her slogan "Aye, I can!" all the way to Los Angeles 2028.
PHRYGE, THE OLYMPIC MASCOT attempts to learn the Tanko Bushi before the Sitting Volleyball matches at Stad de Nord. Next on the dance card is her Paralympic sister! willhttps://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/the-games/the-brand/mascots
FASHION ON THE METRO - a mega sunhat and orange miner's hat get attention at La Chapelle as do the more stylish accessories of a music expat and model who recently moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles with upcoming trip to New York (via Paris) for Fashion Week.
"KAWAII" BABY LEADS TEAM JAPAN SUPPORTERS & FRENCH FAN in learning the Tanko Bushi at the Para Fencing at Versaille's Grand Palais. "Kawaii" is Japanese for "cute", "adorable.'
FANS OF BANGLADESH AND VIETNAM HERITAGE, Orche and My-Linh at Netherlands vs. USA Women's basketball.
JAPAN ENTERS PARALYMPICS OPENING CEREMONIES and with a team effort, French fans help shoot a Tanko Bushi. After the ceremonies, two women did the dance themselves.
MARICA FROM SPAIN, a badminton coach adds a wheelchair spin to her Tanko Bushi during the Olympics (she was from Spain), and is returning to the Paralympics to enjoy and support the badminton competition.
RWANDA WOMEN'S SITTING VOLLEYBALL received phenomenal and very vocal "Go Rwanda!" support from an American mother and her daughter both living in France. They came to the session and felt the positive energy of the Rwandan team and adopted them to root for in the match. Though Rwanda lost to Slovenia, they won the enthusiasm of newfound fans!
AT PARA BADMINTON, YOUNG FRENCH FANS posing for a photo segued into dancing Tanko Bushi! The competition in several of the matches was fierce, and the twists and torques of the plays left spectators gasping.
THE SPIRIT OF TANKO BUSHI ARRIVES FOR PARALYMPICS at Charles de Gaulle airport in the form of super-light luggage that belonged to the late Dai Miyazaki, a former airline steward from Japan who settled in America. Tanko Bushi comes from a festival honoring those we love who have passed away, Dai was beloved by all. Small in stature, yet enormous in impact: Dai was effervescent, charismatic, witty, filled with exhuberance. He loved dancing in Obon festivals, especially the Tanko Bushi. Even when he was bedridden in hospice, he moved his arms to the tempo of the music. The only time the Dayako saw Dai cry was in his final weeks, as he 'danced' the Tanko Bushi, as if he realized he was saying goodbye to all he loved and cherished in this earthly life. Dai passed away in early 2024, yet everyone who dances Tanko Bushi welcomes Dai's spirit back, to dance joyfully among us one more time! The world of the Olympics is also in the Peace planet representing people from all countries coming together to be together in admiration of excellence, courage and heart in sports and in life.
THOUGH VISION-IMPAIRED, SUNIL FROM DUBAI, UAE is nowhere impaired from dancing the Tanko Bushi. Sunil Agarwal learns the dance with the assistance of his partner, Pritee and son Rishi. He follows running and cycling events in the Olympics and Paralympics, and, like the champions he admires, continues to strive for his own excellence. Sunil is an advocate of attracting positive outcomes in life, as his own life attests, with a loving family, a business making uniforms that has succeeded despite many challenges, and his love of running and tandem cycling that has taken him on inner and outer journeys of many miles.
Tanko Bushi at the Paris Olympics
IS MEDIA MISSING A UNIQUE ASPECT OF THE PARIS GAMES? Prior to returning to Paris for the Paralympics, the Dayako attended a taping for NBC's Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, who was the host for NBC's Olympic Closing Ceremonies coverage. During a break in the show's taping, the audience warmup comedian, Seth Herzog asked the audience if anyone had any questions. The Dayako asked, "Did Jimmy Fallon do the Tanko Bushi at the Paris Olympics?" Seth said he didn't know, and would she show the dance? Prepared for such an invite, the Dayako pulled out the coal miners hat and sunhat and demo'ed the dance for the nonplussed NBC studio audience, the crew, and the band. (Jimmy was backstage and missed it.) It was a memorable Tonight Show: an impromptu Tanko Bushi, plus guest star Halle Berry smashing raw eggs over her face in "Egg Roulette" with Jimmy. Perhaps during the Paralympics we will see noteworthy attendees honor Japan's noteworthy contribution to the Olympics by dancing the Tanko Bushi. (Note: there is no visual record of the Tanko Bushi at the Tonight Show as audience cell phones and cameras are prohibited and the NBC crew does not shoot during the taping breaks. The video shown here was shot during the audience wait line for entering the studio. The background mural shows NBC's Saturday Night Live casts. Bowen Yang's oversized frou-frou hat competes vigorously with Beckley Coal Miners Sun Hat (wide brim protects wearer from effects of lamplight).
A FRENCH MIME creates a mesmerizing interpretation of Tanko Bushi. For those at the end of a miles-long trek in the heat from the canoe racing venue to the metro, this once-in-an-Olympics performance was an unexpected, magical reward. This encounter triggers memories of the legendary Marcel Marceau and a Japanese counterpart, Yass Hakoshima, whose work was "a fusion of East and West, as well as a blending of music, art and literature, combining the tradition of mime, the mystery and fatalism of Japanese theater and the expansiveness of modern dance" (Montclair Local).
GERMAN FANS learn the Tanko Bushi. Next Oktoberfest, this Japanese folk dance may debut in lederhosen!
AT CLOSING CEREMONIES, the Tanko Bushi torch passes on to Los Angeles. It may be for the City of Angels to acknowledge Tokyo for being a City of Angels in bringing the Olympics and our Olympic athletes safely through a dangerous, dire period in our human history. Here, the potential and possibility is primed by Em Jay, a young Algerian who arrived in Paris in the morning, thinking he might see something at the Olympics, and finding himself at a prime location at the Closing Ceremonies! Fitting for a young quadra-lingual (Arabic, English, French and Korean) media-maker with a dream of shooting photos and videos at big events around the world.
CLENTY -11, CRUISE-0. 90 year-old Clenty Yasufuku of Japan beat Tom Cruise in dancing the most number of Tanko Bushis during the Paris Olympic Closing Ceremony (Clenty Round #3 featured here in this selfie video). The Tokyo Olympics volunteer also outscored Cruise in the number of languages spoken paying tribute to France in the Closing Ceremonies: Clenty-3 (English, French, Japanese), Cruise - 0. There are many other categories where Clenty trounced Cruise in the Tanko Bushi competition that neither of them realized they were in, but where Clenty emerged the clear, uncontested winner. Cruise may dominate evil movie mega-demons, but he is clearly outmatched when faced with Clenty Intangibles (a.k.a. "Clentangibles"). Watch for a Clenty-Cruise Tanko Bushi rematch at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics!
BELGIANS celebrate their Olympic athletes and dance Tanko Bushi after a track and field competition day.
BRAZILIANS CAN'T RESIST JOINING A CZECH FAMILY dancing Tanko Bushi after the Canoe Races at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
FRENCH CHILDREN FROM BOULOGNE-SUR-MER at the Canoe races supporting Maxime Beaumont, dance the Tanko Bushi at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
SOUTH AFRICAN FATHER AND SON, proud to support their country's athletes, dance the Tanko Bushi
CANADIAN SUPPORTERS of Olympian Ben Flanagan (5,000 meter track) Tanko Bushi their thanks to Japan. The
MEXICO AND CHILE show South American unity with Tanko Bushi outside the Stade de France.
FRENCH WATERSPORTSMEN support land events and activate Tanko Bushi at Stade de France.
SPANISH FAMILY AND FLAG dance the Tanko Bushi at Stade de France. The children received an introduction to Japanese culture through the dance and receiving origami peace cranes and a Japanese culture
INTERNATIONAL FANS DANCE TANKO BUSHI - at Stade de France, before the Athletics competitions.
BRAZIL HATTRACTION - Japanese - West Virginia Coal Miner Headgear spots a Brazilian Topper. A Tanko Bushi is inevitable. Miguel is the planet-spinning Brazilian
A YOUNG BELGIAN HOCKEY FAN, Danne, in Paris puts Belgium on the Tanko Bushi scoreboard! Netherlands joined earlier.
BADMINTON PLAYERS FLICKED AND SMASHED shuttlecocks, and USA spectators shoveled and threw coal at the quarterfinals.
FIERCE WATER POLO COMPETITION tranmuted potent energy to this Tanko Bushi with Olympic staff and visitor from Spain.
CHICAGO IN THE HOUSE! A Tanko Bushi in "the House of Belushi" (Belushi's bar in Paris) celebrates a 20 year marriage anniversary (her husband shot the video) and leads to musings on higher education, French language, unlikely partnerships and the unexpected twists and turns in life.
AUSTRALIAN TOKYO & PARIS OLYMPIAN dances Tanko Bushi! Amanda Bateman who competed in double skulls, did a dance of gratitude to Japan - where she had raced during the 2020 Olympics, and experienced the nation's challenges firsthand.
OPENING CEREMONIES AT BELUSHI'S bar by the canal in Paris with three Bardoul brothers and their friends from Nantes, France, pumped to see Rugby, Gymnastics and Athletics - and dance the Tanko Bushi! Especially as the brothers' aunt is Japanese!
'DOWN UNDER' CYCLISTS: SEPARATE & TOGETHER -Three touring cyclists (two from Australia and one from New Zealand) who rode from Rome to Paris, Tanko Bushi the day before heading into the sunrise on their way to London.
A FRENCH "HAPPY FAMILY" does a swimming inspired Tanko Bushi punctuated by piercing whistles after a water polo march.
A Tanko Bushi at the Charles de Gaulle airport where Olympic teams landed in Paris. Later members of the Italian team and Paris Welcome committee danced Tanko Bushi in appreciation of Japan and in celebration of the upcoming Games.
ITALY -THE FIRST PARIS OLYMPIC ATHLETES TO DANCE TANKO BUSHI! At the Charles de Gaulle Airport these arriving Olympians
The OLYMPIC TORCH being carried on a boat down the Paris Canal en route to the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. With a Tanko Bushi greeting.
Dancing to the Paris Olympics
More videos will be posted
The GLOBAL TECH CRISES stymied thousands of flights. The customer service lines at the San Francisco airport got a brief respite from hours of when several passengers
At PIG AND WHISTLE pub in San Francisco after the European Football Championships, a Tanko Bushi with the energy and joy of global games shared by friends and family, generations and continents.
"SWEET CAROLINE" At the end of a Karaoke evening at Music City, San Francisco, the DJ sang Neil Diamond's song with the expectation that everyone would dance Tanko Bushi. However he launched into the Neil Diamond song before the audience was prepared, and they participated in their own way as the Dayako videoed. Towards the last verses The Dayako handed her phone camera to someone so that Tanko Bushi could squeak in at the end. 'Sweet Caroline' is apparently a favorite of Scottish pub goers, and the original intention was to ask Scots to sing the song and do the Tanko Bushi. However, San Francisco jumped ahead. It would still be fantastic to see a Scottish Sweet Caroline Tanko Bushi. (Imagine Sweet Caroline Tanko Bushis springing up worldwide!)
A WEST VIRGINIA COAL MINE was a reverse stop en route to Paris, to get a sense of coal miner's lives and experiences from Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, a former working mine, now a site to educate and inform of the lives of the workers, the town and industry, with former coal miners leading tours. (Footage from the mine's interior and hopefuly a Tanko Bushi Coal Miners dance with real coal miners will appear here soon!)
INTERPRETIVE At Music City in San Francisco the Dayako was asked by one of the performers to dance the Tanko Bushi while they sang a song. The stage space was limited and the Dayako had to snake past the singers. It's likely to be the first interpretive Tanko Bushi dance of this kind. It brought up the future possibility of having music combined with other art forms to create spontaneous, synergistic multidiscipline music and art events.
After the EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS, a Tanko Bushi to celebrate wins and transcend loss at Pig and Whistle pub in San Francisco, California, USA. After attending her first World Cup Championship in South Africa, this fan has gone to attend every one since, but for her a thrill even bigger than the competition of those matches is that people all over the world come together - as in the Olympics!
GUIDING SPIRITS The Golden Gate Spiritualist Church was founded by Rev. Florence Becker (in portrait) who was an advisor to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II. A quote from Rev. Becker: "You pause, you think, you apply, you concentrate, you meditate. Then search for that mighty treasure. When you have found it, nothing can take it from you." Three members dance Tanko Bushi for world peace.
FIREWORKS, OPIOIDS & PEACE. At the Amtrak train stop in Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA, on the 4th of July, a young man boarding the train impulsively joined the Dayako dancing the Tanko Bushi amidst fireworks. Later, on the train they met again, and Brian shared about becoming an opioid addict at 14 years old after the prescribed painkillers he took after a sports accident were stopped, and he turned to street drugs to endure the pain. His life become one of crime and destruction. One of the small fraction of opioid addicts who have become clean and stayed clean, Brian feels he can especially reach and guide young addicts to become free of the lethal drugs. He desperately wants to help those who are suffering, even if its only one person. By sharing his story, opportunities may come for Brian to help many more victims and their communities. The Tanko Bushi gives an opening for conversations like these that could ultimately make a difference for millions of people. Dance the Tanko Bushi for those who have died from addiction. Dance to bless those who are fighting to recover their lives. Dance for peace and hope for all. The "Peace on Earth" marble Brian holds was given to him by the Dayako, which was given to her by the founder and creator of the huggable "peace planets".
COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER (Part 1) - Mary McCausland pays tribute to her Scottish coal miner father and brother with a Tanko Bushi. The explosive energy of this coal mining family lives on through Mary, to us. Mary's memorial to her father and brother remind us that Tanko Bushi is danced in festivals that honor the spirits of our ancestors. At the Olympics, everyone can dance to remember and celebrate those we have loved - who have been 'Olympians' in our lives.
COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER (Part 2): Tanko Bushi Transformation! Mary McClausland becomes the joyful "lightness of being" she expressed in Part 1, in Philz Cafe in Potero District, San Francisco, with the Dayako and her relative. Her earlier dance tribute and reconnection to her deceased father and brother and her commitment to creating their legacy of world peace gave Mary herself peace, freedom and joy.
PEACE, LOVE, UNITY AND RESPECT. At the Fillmore Jazz Festival, a San Francisco resident and visitor from Britain did a Tanko Bushi, in the spirit of Peace, Love, Unity and Respect.
At the USA Olympic Track & Field trials
Day 10, The security staff at the final day of the U.S. Olympic Trials entrance,
Day 8 with Caesar the No Drama Llama, a therapy llama who greeted spectators at the stadium entrance. Caesar's mellowness reduces stress - he should have been with the athletes! Instead he was celebrated by a group of University of Eugene alumni who did a Tanko Bushi circle around him (Dancers technically should have been going counter-clockwise, but Caesar graciously didn't comment). Caesar is with Larry McCool of Mystic Llama Farm, and can be found in a children's book that bears his name..
Steve Prefontaine "Pre" was a long distance track star who set American records and competed in the 1972 Olympics. He was tragically killed in a car accident in 1975 when he was 24 years old. This memorial has: "PRE" For your dedication and loyalty To your principles and beliefs... For your love, warmth and friendship For your family and friends... You are missed by so many, And you will never be forgotten ... The memorial features a photograph of Pre taken by Brian Lanker, who also lived in Eugene, Oregon. Lanker created portraits of 1932 Olympics gold medalists, and rhythmic gymsstics for the 1984 Olympic Preview issue for Sports Illustrated.
Day 8 with Rachel who is dancing Tanko Bushi and representing Oregon at the U.S. Track and Field Trials because she won't be in Paris during the Olympics.
Day 6: Nike Air staff in Eugene and a customer jumped at the opportunity to Tanko Bushi. The customer, who had fallen twice during a promotional shoe tunnel run, kept his footing for the dance!
Day 7 with Corey and Molly - Eugene fans in the stands who dance the Tanko Bushi.
After Day 3 at the US Olympic Track & Field trials. Rigorous pre-Tanko Bushi warmups by Adam Cohen, avid supporter of Mathew Wilkinson who won a berth on the US OlympicTeam in Steeplechase. Day 2 Dance Team was instructed by super-fast learner who got this group dancing (Serendipitous connections: we discovered: she grew up with a recent Tanko Bushi inductee from another state). These Tanko Bushi dancers are fascinating -- Jimmy Fallon, take note of these super-fan champions you could be interviewing!
Day 4 of US Olympic Track & Field Trials with a Brooks worker and track fan -- with a surpise fan!
Day 8 with Tess and Darcy who are dancing and celebrating track and supporting the world, and thanking Japan [for hosting the 2020 Games during COVID).
This was this California track fan's third Olympic Trial, and he is only 8 years old! A little shy to dance, he did a Tanko Bushi pose (and was rewarded with a Japanese origami crane).
Day 5 is practice day for the U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials - two friends who did track in Indiana, meet up at the Trials to volunteer. Brooks again going strong in the Tanko Bushi dance prelims!
A RODEO QUEEN AND HER COURT of Princesses from the upcoming Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo in September, Tanko Bushi at the Sisters Rodeo in Oregon, USA. Next time we want the horses, too!
POSSE OF SHERIFFS at a rodeo in Sisters, Oregon. In the evening session, a bull jumped the fence and ran into the crowd, making national news. https://abc7chicago.com/post/sisters-rodeo-bull-escapes-jumps-over-arena-fence/14929968/
Before the 2024 NCAA Track & Field Championships, a Tanko Bushi for the late Brian Lanker, who lived in Eugene, Oregon USA, one of the world's finest photographers who created memorable portraits of sports legends and life's champions. With Lynda Lanker his wife, and and an employee at Hayward Field who says he can do the Tanko Bushi balancing his cap on his nose (we are awaiting). Brian, a perfectionist, would have comments on our dancing!
OLYMPIC 'ENTELECHY' The Greek word 'entelechy' refers to the inherent potential within each being, event, opportunity. What is the entelechy of the Olympics, and of Tanko Bushi in generating a thriving, peaceful, joyful world? A fitting place to start this inquiry was with a Master class "Against All Odds" with Jean Houston, protege of famed anthropologist Margaret Mead and a proponent of human potential. She brought the ancient word "entelechy' to current times. In an space created by Buckminster Fuller and surrounded by artifacts of past centuries and millennia from around the world, we were in the House of Spirits - a powerful place to dance the Tanko Bushi, that it may fulfill its entelechy at the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.
REFUGEE, DENTIST, AUTHOR, TANKO BUSHI DANCER: at the clinic of Mahvash Khajavi-Harvey, she and her dental staff dance the Tanko Bushi. Mahvash came to the US as a 15 year old from Iran, she chronicled her difficult journey in 'Daylight Forever: A Memoir'. Now residing in Seattle, Washington, USA, she and her family strive to honor their Iranian cultural traditions and Baha'i faith of respecting all religions and belief in the unity and oneness of all humanity.
BASEBALL AND BUDDHISM - Sports and spirituality align at the Betsuin Buddhist Temple in Seattle, Washington, USA. On December 31 an arsonist, possibly in a mental health episode, set fire to the temple, which reignited two days later,. The fires damaged much of the temple and destroying its archives of Japanese American historic documents dating bsck to 1901. A fundraiser for the Temple's restoration and recovery may also enable Reverend Katsuya Kusunoki, whose passion is baseball, to achieve his dream of throwing the first pitch for the Seattle Mariners baseball game on August 4. Here is a Tanko Bushi with the Minister and his son as a blessing for Peace, within ourselves and the World -- and for the possibility of a first pitch! https://www.facebook.com/SeattleBetsuin
DANCE PARADE Tanko Bushi catches the annual international festival dancing and prancing the streets of New York City. After the Parade ended the Dayako met a young Mexican man working for the parade who learned to dance the Tanko Bushi, expressed his appreciation of Japanese culture and his own desire to make sure the history and traditional culture of his indigenous people of Mexico is preserved.
WAR AND PEACE A Tanko Bushi by Japanese cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn War Memorial in Cadman Park, Brooklyn, New York. The inscription reads: "This memorial dedicated to the heroic men and women of the borough of Brooklyn who fought for liberty in the second World War 1941-1945 and especially to those who suffered and died may their sacrifice inspire future generations and lead to universal peace."
DC DANCERS - Trendy passers -by in Washington DC, spontaneously pick up a little Tanko Bushi. The cafe window features Japanese cherry blossoms - these 'sakura' are Japan's cultural ambassadors, along with others, like anime. Tanko Bushi may become more than a cultural ambassador of Japan, it may become a common
MEMORIAL DAY - Sailors , joined by a New York City Parks Department worker do a Tanko Bushi, honoring those who died in war so that there may be a future of peace, in Inwood, upper Manhattan in New York City.