Geisha on Ice

At the Olympics, culture may be identified in many ways.  Olympians seem to find ways to not only identify their country, but also its cultural heritage.

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 ritual of art 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 tradition.

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 Anthropology.

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/costume-and-culture/2014/feb/11/sochi-figure-skating-costumes-geisha-romeo-juliet-schildlers-list