Archeological evidence gleaned from illustrated ceramics fragments suggests that dance has been a part of daily life for thousands of years. Many early dances, such as those of Native Americans, derived from ceremonial and ritualistic purposes. Ancient Egyptian and Indian dances often had religious purposes, while those of ancient Greece were more celebratoryin nature. While Okinawa has several folk dances related to religious ceremonies, it developed its classical dances in a not-so-traditional way.

Already an established entrepôt by the time the Ryukyu Kingdom unified in 1429, Okinawa enjoyed trade with many nations, including China, Japan, Vietnam, Siam, and Java. With the influx of luxurious trade goods came entourages of visiting economic and diplomatic dignitaries that often stayed for months at a time and required constant attention and entertainment. Consequently, the Ryukyu court frequently held elaborate banquets involving fine foods and staged performances of ukwanshin (crown ship dances) and kumiudui (classical plays). For the purposes of the latter, the court appointed dance magistrates, or odori bugyo. The odori bugyo drew on the songs and dances used by locals during religious festivals and combined them with the cultural influences of China and Japan, thereby creating a terpsichorean art form that was distinctly Okinawan.

Classical Okinawan Dances

Among the classical Okinawan dances are men's dances, women's dances, boy's dances, and elderly people's dances. Each of these dances had highly choreographed routines and accompaniment from musicians playing the sanshin (stringed, plucked instrument), koto (zither), fue (flute), taiko (drum), and Chinese fiddle.

Men's dances, or nisai odori, are often characterized by dancers' attire-a white headband (shiru saji) and a solid black kimono worn hiked up with black and white leggings. These dances had a vigorously masculine nature and frequently incorporated karate movements.

Boy's dances, or wakashu odori, were often performed by boys about fifteen years old, just before their coming of age ceremony. Dancers wore bright red kimono and made flowing, yet still masculine, movements. Unfortunately, when Ryukyuan culture was forced to assimilate into the Japanese culture, the coming of age ceremony was done away with, and so the wakashu odori also disappeared. Today, only a few boy's dances-such as kutibushi and binuchibushi-survive.

Elderly people's dances, or rojin odori, were usually the first dances performed at the ukwanshin. Intended to represent ancestors dancing, the rojin odori were also performed to bring good wishes to guests.

Women's dances, or onna odori, were performed by males dressed in bright bingata kimono and red tabi socks. Onna odori usually depicted a reserved young woman expressing her passionate love for a man. Among the more famous onna odori are amakawa, nufwa bushi, and tsikuten.

From Classical to Pop

Following 1868 Meiji Restoration and consequential disintegration of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the court-sponsored dancers lacked financial support and thus took their talents to new commercial theaters popping up in Naha. In these theaters, commoners were able to see the classical dances, which had previously only been performed for royalty and high-ranking diplomats.

However, performances of the refined, precise movements of the classical dances evoked less than notable responses from the commoners. The dancers responded by developing zo odori, or popular dances. Zo odori reflected the daily activities of farmers, fishermen, and laborers in the community. The restrained and stylized movements of classical dances were thrown out, and dancers adopted vibrant and lively movements the conveyed a sense of freedom and happiness. These folk dances, or minzoku buyo, were performed at religious ceremonies and rituals that have been passed down since ancient times. Such dances included eisa and shishimai.