RAG MusicRecreation
Lovely senior life

[For care facilities] Liven up your summer festival! A roundup of performances by staff

At summer festivals held at senior care facilities, many residents look forward to the performances put on by staff.

Lively, summery acts are a perfect fit for the occasion.

In this article, we’ll introduce staff performance ideas that are sure to get everyone excited.

On the day of the festival, let go of any shyness and have as much fun as you can.

When staff spend the time smiling, those smiles are sure to spread to the residents as well.

Plan a joyful summer festival with must-have attractions like dance, taiko drumming, fireworks displays, and handmade portable shrines (mikoshi)!

[For Nursing Care Facilities] Liven Up Your Summer Festival! A Compilation of Staff Performances (11–20)

Dance & Wotagei

Christmas Party - Dance & Otagei (wotagei)
Dance & Wotagei

A lively performance by the staff that delights with movement and rhythm.

It starts with a light, upbeat dance part set to music, then incorporates elements of wotagei using big hand and arm movements to create a visually impactful presentation.

Even with simple costumes and props, crisp movements and thoughtful timing can draw out smiles and clapping from the audience.

An energetic tempo, call-and-response chants, and varied choreography come together to create a bright, vibrant atmosphere.

Using glow sticks adds flowing trails of light that move with the performance, boosting the visual splendor even more.

Fireworks game

“Fireworks game” to close out the summer. If you’ve had fewer chances to set off or go see fireworks, let’s make a grand display to end the season!
Fireworks game

Let us introduce a game themed around fireworks, a hallmark of summer.

For preparation, attach masking tape radially onto a hula hoop with the adhesive side facing outward.

If the stickiness is weak, try using clear OPP tape as well.

Once you have the hula hoop target that resembles fireworks and some balls, you’re ready to go.

Ask the seniors to throw the balls at the target; the number of balls that stick to the target becomes their score.

After the game, the colorful balls will decorate the “fireworks,” letting everyone enjoy a touch of summer ambience.

Little Dance

FY2024 Day Service Hanaichigo Respect-for-the-Aged Celebration – Hanaichigo Circus: Little Dance!!
Little Dance

It’s a dance performed with a uniquely shrunken look, where each movement exudes cuteness.

With the gimmick of only the face being real and the rest a doll, it really tests the skill of how comically you can make the movements appear.

Since the motions of the arms and legs tend to be simple, it’s also recommended to exaggerate facial expressions to bring out the humor.

There are plenty of elements you can get particular about—what kind of movements to show to what kind of music, what costumes to use, and so on.

street performance

FY2024 Day Service Hana-Ichigo Respect-for-the-Aged Celebration: Hana-Ichigo Circus - Street Performance Ver.
street performance

Street performance is a staple act at events, and the fun part is that you can see the effort behind it—whether it ends in failure or success.

To help people feel the excitement of street performance, it’s actually important to show some failures on purpose; the success that follows will stand out even more.

And since clowns are strongly associated with street performance, putting real thought into the costume can evoke a circus-like atmosphere.

We recommend taking on a variety of acts—like juggling or cigar boxes—and letting the audience watch you work hard as you rise to the challenge.

Tankō-bushi (Coal Miner’s Song)

Respect-for-the-Aged Day: We performed the Tankō Bushi dance at the day service. 2024
Tankō-bushi (Coal Miner's Song)

Tanko-bushi is a folk song from Fukuoka Prefecture, best known for being used in Bon Odori.

Let’s showcase a comical dance set to its light, buoyant rhythm.

Since the song strongly evokes Bon Odori, we’ll center the choreography around that style and gradually add variations, including comedic movements.

The lyrics that depict the moon floating in the night sky are also memorable, so dancing in moon-themed costumes inspired by that image is highly recommended.

Your creativity will be tested in how much humor you can weave into this gently paced piece.