Geisha on Ice
At the Olympics, cultureculture is not genetically inherited, it is shared, learned, and dynamic- never static may be identified in many ways. Olympians seem to find ways to not only identify their country, but also its cultural heritagesomething that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth; ancestors may be considered a kind of heritage; also traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation; something passed down from preceding generations.
Cathy Reed of Japan performs at the 2014 Sochi Olympic games. She is wearing a beautiful red costume with flowers and an obi (sash). The obi demonstrates that the Geisha ritualA ritual is not necessarily religious; but it most often is.  It is an established or prescribed procedure.  In anthropology a ritual is described as formal, repetitive, and stereotyped.  It requires human behavior, which is performed in certain places, at set times.  Rituals are necessitated by participants, rather than audiences.  They are usually passed down from generation to generation; but a ritual can also be individualistic and started anew by anyone at any time, such as a baseball player touching a base or something else to bring luck during the game. of artthe expressive or application of human creative skill and imagination in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, or in music, literature, or dance; art is created primarily for beauty and emotional power; and "holds art is anything the viewer or listener finds aesthetically pleasing." and performance is alive and well in Japan. She may not have spent time in a hanamachi (place where Geisha are trained), but she definitely portrays the beauty and exactness of a performing art expressed in the Geisha traditionA tradition is a cultural event, which has been passed down from generation to generation.  It may be based on myth, legend, truth, or supernatural beliefs..
The photo, by Adrian Dennis, and more information about Costume & Culture at the Olympics may be found at the following website. Return her to Explore More in Cultural Anthropologythe holistic study of humanity in its broadest context in all times and places, ancient and contemporary.
