In Houston, Texas; to seriously study Okinawa traditional dance one has to literally drive around the entire island of Okinawa just to get to the Dojo. And then you wouldn’t actually be going to a dojo but to someone’s home.
During a New Year’s party at the beginning of 2008 five Okinawans came together in the far off land of Texas. These descendents of the Ryukyu Islands were imbued with the spirit of Geion – a word coined by their ancestors’ meaning to welcome people from other countries with gratitude. As their ancestors’ before them, the five intrepid souls ventured out with the belief that Okinawa is a bridge between all the countries of the world. In order to help establish this bridge in Texas they created a group called Ryufu. (Ryu(琉)=Ryukyu Fu(風)=wind "Let's blow the Ryukyu's wind (spirits) here".)
As Ryufu grew, the members wanted to share all of the different aspects of Okinawan culture with their newly adopted home of Texas. So the ones interested in Eisa dancing started a chapter of Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko in Texas and the classical dance group kept the name Ryufu. Not being as popular as Eisa though, Ryufu found it difficult to get established. Only having CD’s to learn from at first the handful of dedicated members persevered and did the best they could. Then in the summer of 2010 they realized that Ryyfu wasn’t going anywhere and had to drop it altogether or make a serious commitment to advance to the next level.
The spirit of Geion ran deep in their hearts though. So without much hesitation they contacted Setsuko Kuniyoshi, the head of the Austin, Texas branch of Miyagi-Ryu Nosho Kai. Being one of the premier schools of Okinawa classical dance Miyagi-Ryu Nosho Kai was founded by Nosho Miyagi. Since the classical dance group is now associated with Miyagi-Ryu Nosho Kai and the Eisa dancers’ are part of Ryukyukoku Matauri Daiko the name Ryufu has been past down to the Okinawa’s traditional music group.
So on two Saturdays out of every month several members of the classical dance group make the trip from Houston to Austin to learn as much as they can from Kuniyoshi sensei. In the confines of her home Kuniyoshi sensei has set up a very nice and comfortable Dojo in which to teach an art form she has been dedicated to her entire life. Then in Sunday classes back in their Dojo the traveling members past on what they have learned and Okinawa classical dance is now flourishing in Houston
But out of all of this it is the trip from Houston to Austin and back again that shows just how devoted the Okinawans in Houston are to preserving their cultural heritage. This trip also demonstrates the difference between learning Okinawa classical dance in Texas as opposed to Okinawa. For you see; driving from Houston to Austin in Texas is the same as driving from Itoman to Hedo Misaki and back to Itoman in Okinawa. Now that’s just one way mind you; after class they have to do it all again. So in one day they drive around the entire Island of Okinawa two times just to go to class and back.
(Click on maps to enlarge)
It is almost certain that, in spirit at least, as many of the Okinawan ancestors that can pile into the back seat of Yuri-san’s car make the trip with her every time. Dressed in their traditional Okinawa wardrobe, playing their Sanshin’s and singing all the old songs of the Ryukyu Kingdom they are sure to be in a fine festive mood knowing the spirit of Geion is being well tended by their descendents.
