Para Para
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Para Para (Japanese: パラパラ; also "Para-Para" or "ParaPara") is a Japanese form of solo popular dance. Unlike most club dancing and rave dancing, there are specific, preset movements for each song, and everyone does the same moves at once, much like line dancing. Para Para is said to have existed since the 1970s, but did not achieve much popularity outside of Japan until recently. Today, Para Para dancing is known throughout the world, especially the Pacific Rim.
Para Para is performed using mostly arm movements; very little lower body movement is involved save for perhaps moving one's hips or stepping in place. It has been speculated that it is a descendant of the traditional Bon Odori dance. The dances are performed to fast, upbeat music such as techno and Eurobeat. Fans of Para Para dancing often call themselves "paralists."
There was a huge boom in Japan in 1998–1999 when pop idol Takuya Kimura of SMAP performed it on televsion. It was such a great impact that even Mickey Mouse danced it in Tokyo Disneyland. Note that Mickey and friends once appeared in television dancing it with Takuya Kimura.
The Japanese video game company Konami has released a series of video games called ParaParaParadise as part of its Bemani series of music-based games. The game features an octagonal platform with motion detecting sensors above it. Players must trigger the sensors by moving their arms (or other body parts) under the sensors when a corresponding arrow reaches the top of the screen placed at the front of the platform.
Para Para Sakura, a Chinese film starring Aaron Kwok, features some some para para dancing in the context of a romantic plot.
As of 2005, there is a new Para Para dance boom. In April of 2005, the Para Para dance for "Dragostea Din Tei" was aired on the popular show SMAP in Japan, which created the boom in 1998. To replace the Para Para Paradise video series, there is now the Gazen!! ParaPara!! series with CDs and DVDs. Marketing the series to the younger generation of teens, they use popular Ganguro models from Egg magazine. Upcoming events in 2005 include the Super Eurobeat 160 CD Release event and a worldwide Para Para competition sponsored by avex trax.
External links
- Parapara Online (http://www.paraparaonline.com)
- Parapara Stage (http://www.paraparastage.com)
- The Hong Kong ParaPara Dance Association's English site (http://www.paraparaparadise.net) contains basic information on the dance and many videos.