Yukatakai 2018

Last week Miyagawacho Kaburenjo held odori, know as Yukatakai. For those who do not know, this is annual event, in which maiko and geiko of Kyoto kagai sim participate in. During it, guests and patrons could admire talents as well as notice changes in the kagai. This year was special for maiko Kikushino, as it was her first Yukatakai odori since she has debuted as maiko and last for Maiko Kikutsru, who is to become geiko very very soon.
For those who couldn't come but extremely wished to, here is a small description of the acts.
Please enjoy :)

Act 1: "Hayashi"

(from left to right: Maiko Kikune, Maiko Kikutsuru, Okaasan Kikuyu, Maiko Kikumaru and Maiko Kikushino)

Okaasan Kikuyu welcomed patrons and guests to annual yukatakai odori with a speech. During this act all members of Hanafusa okiya showed their skills by playing music instruments that are unique to Kagai: Maiko Kikune played drum called Otozumi, Kikutsuru san played the shinobue fue, Okaasan Kikuyu played the Kotozumi, Maiko Kikumaru played the shakuhachi and Maiko Kikushino played drum known as shimedaiko.

Act 2: 

Front dancers: Maiko Kikutsuru, Okaasan Kikuyu and Maiko Kikumaru
Musicians: Maiko Kikune and Maiko Kikushino

In the second scene junior maiko (Kikune and Kikushino) perform as Jikata while senior maiko and geiko (Maiko Kikutsuru, Okaasan Kikuyu and maiko Kikumaru) perform as tachikata. During this act self-made summer poetry was presented by the seniors alongside elegant dance, that has been practiced for a long time before the event.

*Jikata - musician
*Tachikata - dancer

Act 3:

From right to left:
Maiko Kikune, Maiko Kikutsuru, Okaasan Kikuyu,
Maiko Kikumaru and Maiko Kikushino

During this act, all maiko and geiko from Hanafusa okiya perform a dance together. In their right hands they are holding special summer uchiwa fan with the mon(crest) of their okiya. The story for this act was written by Maiko Kikune and it was a story of  what love is.

Act 4: "The grateful crane"

Front dancers: Maiko Kikune and Maiko Kikushino
Musicians: Maiko Kikutsuru, okaasan Geiko Kikuyu and Maiko Kikumaru

In this scene Maiko Kikune and Kikushino performed a dance togather, while Maiko Kikutsuru, Okaasan Kikuyu and Maiko Kikumaru accompanied their performance with a shamisen music. The story that was told during this act was about a couple, who had adopted a baby girl. To their big surprise she was not who they expected her to be...

Act 5: 

From left to right: Maiko Kikune, Maiko Kikutsuru, Okaasan Kikuyu, Maiko Kikumaru
and Maiko Kikushino

In this beautiful ending scene each geiko and maiko from Hanafusa okiya performed with a handmade summer Uchiwa fan and a shared a self made poem.