Mayu comes from a lineage of Japanese dance teachers, her late grandmother Miyama Toyomine and late mother Shihō Maisen, who shared a dojo in northern Japan with her grandfather who was a blackbelt kendo and iaido master. Yumeori is her natori (master dancer) name meaning Dream Weaver. While receiving an American education, Yumeori was born and raised in Japan in this unique bicultural environment. She has been on stage since the age of 4. Professionally trained as a musician and music therapist, Mayu graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston and has been featured in over 30 singles, albums, and vinyls worldwide. As a board-certified music therapist and holistic health practitioner, Mayu has provided services to a diverse range of clientele, from infants and children on the autistic spectrum to adults in DV and homeless shelters to nursing homes and hospice care. Since moving to Hawaiʻi, her focus has been on farming and creating natural products. As a former owner of a popular natural parenting store on Oʻahu, she has been manufacturing and retailing natural herbal products for over a decade. Along with her husband, she is currently the co-owner of Māmaki Skin, an organic skincare company featuring native Hawaiian healing herb mamaki.
Yumeori is dancing two pieces at Matsuri:
1) Omatsuri Mambo (Misora Hibari)
Sung by the iconic post-war era singer Misora Hibari, Omatsuri Mambo tells the tales of Matsuri festival goers, Edokko (local east side Tokyoites) uncle and aunty whose house burns down and burglarized, respectively, while they are too busy partying. The song ends with the phrase “Atono Matsuri” which is the Japanese equivalent of “don’t cry over spilled milk,” literally translated to “after the festival is over.” The movements in the dance include the carrying of the Omikoshi (miniature shrine), with the mikoshi-carrying call, Wasshoi.
2) Nada Sousou / Ka Nohona Pili Kai (BEGIN/Kealiʻi Reichel)
Nada Sousou is a song remembering a loved one who has passed on, originally written and performed by Okinawan group BEGIN. Nada Sousou means flowing tears in the Okinawan dialect. Flipping through an old album, whispering thank you, searching for the loved one in the sky… until they meet again. Mayu recorded this arrangement herself with the additional segment in Hawaiian (written by Kealiʻi Reichel).
Yumeori will also be a guest dancer for one of Torao’s performances during his program.