We celebrate Japan’s Children’s Day with our annual performance by the Shizumi Kodomo Dance Troupe, a group of talented young dancers in traditional kimono dress led by Director-Choreographer Shizume Shigeto Manale.

A Closer Look – About Children’s Day

Children's Day (こどもの日 Kodomo no hi) is a Japanese national holiday which takes place annually on May 5, the fifth day of the fifth month, and is part of the Golden Week. It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness.  The date was the date of the traditional 'Tango no Sekku' festival, originally commonly known as Boys' Day, whereas Girls' Day was celebrated separately on March 3.  The holidays were merged in 1948 and it was designated a national holiday by the Japanese government.

A Closer Look – About the Performers

The Shizumi Kodomo Dance Troupe is a children's dance troupe under Artistic Director, Shizumi Shigeto Manale. The troupe was formed in 2000 when the President's committee on the Arts and Humanities asked Artistic Director, Shizumi Shigeto Manale to create a children's dance troupe for the White House Millennium Celebration. The troupe is currently comprised of young dancers from diverse ethnic backgrounds ranging in age between 4 and 17 years old and exemplifies what is best about our world. A truly multicultural company, the children have discovered that dance is an international language.

In creating the Shizumi Kodomo Dance Troupe, Ms. Shigeto Manale hopes that dancers and audiences alike will be inspired to connect to other cultures and thus, contribute to the understanding and friendship between East and West.

The members of the troupe share a passionate interest in expressing their love for Japanese culture and dance. Over the years, the Shizumi Kodomo Dance Troupe has enjoyed performing and educating audiences at many events.

In the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, the Shizumi Kodomo Dance Troupe has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Opening Ceremony of the National Cherry Blossom Festival (annually since 2001), the Japan-America Society Sakura Matsuri, the Freer Gallery of Art, the Adams Morgan Day Festival, the National Children's Museum, and the Otsukimi (Moon Viewing Festival) at the National Arboretum to name a few. The troupe has also performed at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and was part of a documentary featuring Artistic Director, Shizumi Shigeto Manale filmed for a European public television station.

For more information or to see photos, please visit their website at www.kodomodance.org.

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