Pacific Development Inc. director Gordon Marciano told the Variety that the group, composed of members from Island Warriors, Tipi-yeew, Welipal, Refaluwasch warriors and CPI II dance teams, left Saipan for Nagoya on Aug. 27.
“The CNMI group performed on Aug. 28 and returned to Saipan on Aug. 29,” Marciano said.
Marciano said the members of the group that went to Nagoya were selected from each of the performing groups that supported the group from Nagoya that participated in the 2010 Liberation Day festivity here.
He said the CNMI Domonnaka team was able to make the trip through the support of the Marianas Visitors Authority and Delta Airlines.
Marciano said there were 221 dance teams with 130 to 150 members for each group that participated in the annual festival, bringing to a total of almost 29,000 performers excluding visiting performers from South Korea, China and the CNMI.
Marciano said aside from the 221 dance teams and performers spread out on 20 stages throughout Nagoya, an estimated 2 million people visited Nagoya this year to witness the event.
He said 50,000 brochures were produced and millions more watched the event live on television all over Japan.
“Whenever the CNMI team was scheduled to dance, they are always a favorite among the performers because the unique style of dance and performance always fascinates the spectators,” Marciano said.
He was one of the members of the judging panel during the festival that chose the 10 best dancers for the final seed tournament.
Eight years ago, the Domonnaka dance team from Nagoya were introduced to MVA by Chamolinian Cultural Village Inc. and PDI.
“The concept was to establish a Domatsuri team in the CNMI to build and foster the goodwill relationship with other dancers,” Marciano said.
They have been sending representatives to Nagoya for the festival for the past eight years.
“It is one of the most successful promotional methods being used by MVA and Delta Airlines in bringing both countries closer through history, culture and dance,” Marciano said.
The event started with only 10 college students from Nagoya who wished to make the festival the biggest dance event in Japan.
