Ship of the Ryukyu

Ship of the Ryukyu capture the island’s culture and style and portray the young couple’s passion through energetic and spirited dances of the farmers and workers as well as more traditional dances that were originally used to entertain foreign guests at the Ryukyu Court. 

Exquisitely patterned costumes (with three hikinuki – or pull-out – costume changes), so different from the kimonos of mainland Japan, with live music from the Okinawan national instrument - the sanshin – violin and percussions, create a spectacle that truly celebrates these tropical islands.



Ship of the Ryukyu is a collective of singers and dancers from Okinawa created by the Okinawa Prefecture to introduce the world to the island’s distinctive culture by showcasing the best performing arts from around the region. Says award-winning director of Okinawa Sansan, Haruo Misumi:



‘Ship of the Ryukyu sails the world sharing the treasures of the Island. With this latest piece of work I wanted to combine the passion and energy of our music and dance with the rich colours and patterns of our traditional costumes to celebrate a culture that is unique to these islands. Audiences can expect a fast-moving and sensual physicality from the 5 dancers as well as a spectacle and a fusion of the traditional and the contemporary.’