APATA – The Australian Performing Arts Teachers Association

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Japan Dance and Culture Tour (14-26 May 2025)

Posted by Retreat Create | Nov 6, 2024

This exciting itinerary features NINE!! dance, theatre and movement experiences including private performances, demonstrations, artist talks and introductory workshops.

You will enjoya Samurai kenbu (sword and fan dance) performance and workshop; the rare opportunity to observe an apprentice Geisha in training; a Butoh performance and workshop; a Mikomai (shrine maiden) experience and workshop; a Noh experience and workshop; a Koenji Awaodori (folk dance) workshop; a Taiko (drumming) workshop; a private studio ballet performance, beginner ballet and stretch class with a professional ballerina and teacher; plus a Zen Buddhist meditation class.

Further cultural highlights include: ticketed seats to a geisha dance performance at Kamogawa Odori (a geisha Spring dance festival); a temple festival; a folk festival parade; a traditional tea ceremony; visits to significant temples, shrines, and gardens; several galleries and museums; a handcraft market; an antiques marketfood markets; a cooking class; travel on Shinkansen (bullet train) to a region with fabulous views of Mt Fuji; plus major iconic sites including Shibuya crossing, Gion (geisha and entertainment district) and Ningyocho (an ancient merchant hub); fabulous Japanese cuisine and much, much more!

This unique and exciting foray into Japanese dance and culture is not to be missed!

Japan Dance & Culture Tour: 14-26 May 2025 – Now Open for Bookings

CLICK HERE to find out more and book your place!  

 

Hello! We’re two Susans with a shared love of travel, textiles and handcrafts. We offer small group women’s creative tours with a focus on the traditional handcraft arts that are indigenous to the places we visit. As of 2024, we’ve added dance, food and garden-focussed tours plus ‘all gender’ tours to our range of offerings. Incorporating opportunities for observation as well as hands-on/interactive workshops, our itineraries include a mix of must-see locations and far-flung villages where travellers are rare. Our tours offer the chance for creative exploration, inspiration, new friendships and shared learning experiences for textile, handcraft, dance, food and garden-enthused travellers from all over the world.

susan x 2 April 2019

We have been hosting retreat|recreate textile and creative tours since 2015 and between us have many years of study-based research skills, a wealth of practical experience from our own independent travel adventures, a passion for exploring the textile, handcraft and cultural traditions of other cultures and one of us had ten years prior experience in the travel industry. We provide authentic, insightful, carefully curated and memorable experiences, allowing our travellers to gain an understanding of the cultural context and daily lives of the people who maintain these traditional practices.

We offer culturally, socially and environmentally responsible programs, allowing for interaction with local people and respectful cross-cultural experiences. Where possible we engage with: local guides and hosts; organisations that return profits directly to their local communities; fair trade organisations and NGOs providing assistance to disadvantaged groups and communities. For more information on responsible tourism please click here.

We do hope you will join us on one of our tours.

Please contact us to join our mailing list or register your Expression of Interest (EOI) for one or several destinations!

Susan Rees-Osborne and Susan Keeble


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