Para Para (Japanese: パラパラ; also "Para-Para" or "ParaPara") is a popular Japanese solo 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 early 80's, when Europe started selling Italo Disco, Euro Disco, and later New Wave music in Japan (New Wave came about in the mid-80's), but did not achieve much popularity outside of Japan until the late 90's, when the popularity boom of para para took place. Today, it is known throughout the world, especially the Pacific Rim.
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Description
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, although a few routines require more detailed leg motions. It has been speculated that it is a descendant of the traditional Bon Odori dance, though this is incorrect. The dance originated from the early days in the 80's when men working in the VIP room in clubs would choreograph dances to impress the women. The dance style then grew from there. The dances are performed to fast, upbeat music such as Eurobeat. Fans of Para Para dancing often call themselves "Paralists".
Variants
Some variants of Para Para are also present, such as TechPara (which would be danced to Hyper Techno techno) and TraPara (which would be danced to trance). This is also known as Torapara due to trance being written as トランス (toransu) in Japanese.
Popular culture
- Para Para experienced a huge boom in Japan in 1998–1999 when pop idol Takuya Kimura of SMAP performed it on television. It was such a great impact that even Mickey Mouse danced it in Tokyo Disneyland. People in Mickey Mouse and other Tokyo Disneyland costumes appeared on 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 film starring Aaron Kwok, features some Para Para dancing in the context of a romantic plot. The theme song for the film, Para Para Sakura, is not related to any form of Para Para based music. Paralists do not consider the film to be of any relation to the original Para Para.
- In Chapter 30 of the manga series Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Don Patch performs the Para Para with a group of cats.
- In one episode of Dragon Ball GT, Goku, his granddaughter Pan, their friend Trunks, and even the robot Giru are put under a Para Para-type dance by the three Para Para Brothers.
- In a number of Ayumi Hamasaki's concerts, Ayumi taught her fans the routines for her songs 'Trauma' and 'independent' and got her fans to dance along with her.
- In School Rumble - Second Term, Tenma Tsukamoto does the para para in Episode 17 in an attempt to ruin an arranged marriage between Eri Sawachika, who she is posing as, and an unnamed groom, whom Kenji Harima is posing as.
- In the anime Super Gals!, para para dancing is a popular pastime for the main character, Kotobuki Ran.
- Para Para dancing can be seen in parts of the 2006 film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
- A line of Yoko Ishida CDs have remixes of anime songs with a Para Para beat. Of course, it is appropriately named Para Para.
- In the video game Rumble Roses XX, one of the penalty games of Queen's Match is Para-Para Dancing and that girl who lost is forced to perform it and depending on the costume the player chose, the girl may have a positive, neutral or negative reaction.
- In the video game Gitaroo Man, on the second level, the background characters are doing para para.
- Para Para dancing is performed and mentioned about in the 2001 Hello! Project Shuffle Group song Dancing! Natsu Matsuri (ダンシング! 夏祭り Danshingu! Natsu Matsuri?) by Juunin Matsuri (10人祭?).
Current trends
In April of 2005, the Para Para dance for "Dragostea Din Tei" was aired on the popular show SMAP×SMAP in Japan (the same programme which created the '98 boom). The Para Para Paradise video series has since been replaced by the Gazen Para Para!! series of CDs and DVDs, marketed to younger teens using popular ganguro models from Egg magazine. However, as with past trends, the boom has quieted down, though Avex continues to promote Para Para through its Super Eurobeat, We Love Techpara, and Gazen Para Para!! compilation series.
Para Para outside of Japan
Para para has devoted fan bases in all countries outside Japan. Many paralists often gather a few times a year for performances and events at conventions and parties. The United Kingdom, United States, Finland, Norway and Russia are notable for having para para teams and more active fanbases. However, most events in the United States occur at anime conventions, due to the fan base being very scattered. Many fans have seen a desire for club events in the United States. In United States, Geneon Entertainment has released the Para Para MAX US Mix series of CDs. The discs contain remixes of anime theme music from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Pokemon, Magic Knight Rayearth, and many other different anime productions. Volumes 1, 2 and 3 were released in August, October, and December 2005, respectively. Geneon also help contests to promote the CD and its anime series. 2005's contest was held at Otakon on 20 August 2005. Geneon's efforts failed to expand the reach of Para Para in the United States, and the series is generally considered a failure by American fans. Regardless of this, Geneon released a Para Para instructional DVD called "ParaPara MAX: The Moves 101", featuring several well-known United States paralists. The DVD did not sell well due to an exclusive sales agreement with Media Play, Sam Goody and Suncoast, because they soon went out of business. The DVD can still be purchased online or from various vendors at anime conventions. After the Anime Fusion Tour's conclusion in the summer of 2006, Yoko Ishida's management changed, which lead to the end of Geneon's promotion of Para Para in the United States.
See also
External links
- EuroTK A Chilean para para forum.
- ParaParaParadise.net provides many para para routines video.
- Parapara dot US provides many para para routines video.
- Eurobeat Prime contains information about many eurobeat albums.
- Akyrmusic Label for ParaPara Eurobeat & Hypertechno.
- Para Para Stage A forum with members from across the globe. Referenced for fan opinions, though forum has since been reset due to old forum not functioning. Old forum can be seen at [1]
- Brazilian Para Para Dance Association A Brazilian para para site and forum.
- Para Para Chile A Chilean para para site and forum.
- La ruta del parapara A complete history of parapara.
- [2] The site of the US ParaPara team "Para²Mahou".
- [3] The site of the US ParaPara team "EKS-D ParaPara"
- [4] The site of the US ParaPara team "American Dream".
