Dispelling the Evil Spirit 'Oni kembai "

original text by Hesti Setiarini, executive summary by darmansjah

The faces of the dancers wore masks shaped demon. They danced in groups. Each group of eight people. Each dancer doing the acrobat in pairs. Sword wielding prepared in conjunction with the flick of a dynamic fan. The audience was amazed before them. Graceful and character.

The sword and the fan is a symbol to ward off evil spirits. I was watching oni kembai, which literally means dance sword dance exorcist. This dance has been around since 701 AD from Kitakami city, Iwate Prefecture. Initially, oni kembai a Buddhist sacred dances to ward off evil spirits or demons who disturb the peace of mankind. However, with changing times become part of the folk dances Iwate.

There are many variations oni Kembai dance moves . Myself, two, three to five. The dancers dressed in costumes dominated the red, black and white with a decorative mat coated image and a symbol of the little kimono in the buttocks. Weapon system drum accompaniment music, flutes and bells produce a distinctive rhythm that makes this dance is rather monotonous as if to hypnotize the viewer to dissolve in each movement.

Oni Kembai dance can be enjoyed in Iwate mass at various festivals over the past four seasons each year. Bhakan Futago group, a small village in Kitakami since the 1970's has been known as Europe and America.