American Bon Dancing at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

SAN FRANCISCO — American Bon Dancing, a free event, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 1, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, 760 Howard St. in San Francisco.

A joyous celebration of departed ancestors, Bon is a Japanese Buddhist festival that’s been marked for more than five centuries with a traditional dance known as Bon Odori. Held in conjunction with the 16th World Buddhist Women’s Convention across the street at the Marriott Marquis, American Bon Dancing – An Invitation to Dance features an array of traditional masters, including taiko pioneer and NEA Heritage Fellowship Awardee P.J. Hirabayashi (TaikoPeace), Murasaki Ensemble koto innovator Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto, and odori dance expert Reiko Iwanaga, the leader of the San Jose Obon Festival.

San Jose Taiko, one of the leading taiko ensembles outside of Japan, also performs.

American Bon Dancing incorporates both traditional numbers still performed in Japan and more recent dances and songs created in the United States.

Part of Yerba Buena Gardens Festival‘s Weekend Sessions series. For the full summer schedule, visit www.ybgfestival.org.