This article does not cite any references or sources. (April 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

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. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Para Para Paradise is also a video compilation showing Para Para routines. ... The Amazoness Quartet )[1] is a group of characters from the metaseries known as Sailor Moon. ... For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... See Ballroom dance In a wider sense, the term Nightclub dance, or Club dance, is used in the meaning of Disco dance (see Disco music). ... A rave party, more often called a rave, is an all-night dance event where DJs and other performers play electronic dance music and rave music. ... A line dance is a formation dance in which a group of people dance in one or more lines (British English, rows), executing the same movements. ... Cover of the ZYX Music compilation album. ... The term Euro-Disco first used during the 70s, to describe the non UK based disco productions and artists. ... New Wave was a music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the early-to-mid 1980s. ... The USS Abraham Lincoln Battle Group along with ships from Australia, Chile, Japan, Canada, and Korea speed towards Honolulu in RIMPAC 2000. ...

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". Bon Odori (盆踊り) is an event held during the Buddhist festival period called Obon in Japan. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... SUPER EUROBEAT Vol. ...

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. Techno is a form of electronic dance music that became prominent in Detroit, Michigan during the mid-1980s with influences from electro, New Wave, Funk and futuristic fiction themes that were prevalent and relative to modern culture during the end of the Cold War in industrial America at that time. ... Trance is a style of electronic music that developed in the 1990s. ...

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 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, Juunin Matsuri^?).

• Para Para is also used in the Soran Happies Video for Odore! Soran Parapara

• Para Para dancing appears briefly near the end of the video for the KT Tunstall song Hold On.

• Para Para dancing is featured heavily in the 2006 Japanese dorama Gal Circle. Many of the episodes revolve around it and nearly all of the major characters belong to a gal circle that is dedicated to it.

For other persons named Takuya Kimura, see Takuya Kimura (disambiguation). ... For the Internet protocol, see Simple Mail Access Protocol. ... Mickey Mouse is an Academy Award-winning comic animal cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. ... Tokyo Disneyland ) is one of two theme parks in the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. ... For other persons named Takuya Kimura, see Takuya Kimura (disambiguation). ... Namcos Pac-Man is one of the most popular video games ever made. ... Konami Corporation ) (TYO: 9766 NYSE: KNM SGX: K20) is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines and video games. ... Para Para Paradise is also a video compilation showing Para Para routines. ... Bemani (ビーマニ, biimani) is Konamis music video game division. ... It has been suggested that Motion detector be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Aaron Kwok Fu-Shing (Chinese: 郭富城; Pinyin: Guō Fùchéng; Cantonese: Gwok3 Fu3 Sing4; born October 26, 1965) is a popular Hong Kong singer and film actor. ... Original run February 7, 1996 – November 19, 1997 Episodes 64 Sagas Black Star Dragon Ball Saga Baby Saga Super 17 Saga Shadow Dragon Saga TV Special A Heros Legacy Dragon Ball GT ) is a Japanese anime-only sub-series of the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. ... Ayumi Hamasaki , originally , born October 2, 1978) is an award-winning J-pop singer-songwriter. ... Serialized in Shonen Magazine Original run 2002 – Ongoing Volumes 18 Ch 248[1] TV anime Director Shinji Takamatsu Studio Studio Comet Licensor Funimation Entertainment Tokyopop Network TV Tokyo Original run October 10, 2004 – April 5, 2005 Episodes 26 OVA: School Rumble - First Term Extra スクールランブル 一学期補習 Director Shinji Takamatsu Studio Studio Comet... For other uses, see Tenma (disambiguation). ... Eri Sawachika ) is a fictional character from the manga/anime series School Rumble. ... Kenji Harima ) is a fictional character in the anime/manga series School Rumble and its male protagonist. ... Gals!, is a shōjo manga written by mangaka Mihona Fujii. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rumble Roses XX (pronounced Rumble Roses Double X) is a female fighting video game that was developed by YUKEs Future Media Creators and Konami for the Xbox 360. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Hello! Projects logo Hello! Project ) is the umbrella name for all-female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that is under contract of the Up-Front Group. ... Kate KT Tunstall (born 23 June 1975) is a Scottish singer and songwriter. ... Hold On is an alternative rock song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

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!! competition series. Dragostea din tei (pronounced ) is the most successful single by the Moldovan band O-Zone. ... Para Para Paradise is an arcade dance game made by the Japanese company Konami. ... 俄然パラパラ学園 ～パラパラだよ！全員集合編～ Cover Art - © Avex Trax, Japan. ... Ganguro ) is an alternative fashion trend among young Japanese women which peaked in popularity around the year 2000, but remains evident today. ... Egg magazine (EGG) is a photo periodical distributed in Japan. ... SUPER EUROBEAT Vol. ... 俄然パラパラ学園 ～パラパラだよ！全員集合編～ Cover Art - © Avex Trax, Japan. ...

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. Geneon, formerly known as Pioneer Entertainment(or Pioneer LDC) and also a former subsidiary of Pioneer Corporation, is a home entertainment production and distribution company. ... A remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. ... Animé redirects here. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a piece that is written specifically for that show and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... The Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise is a multi-billion dollar umbrella of Japanese media properties generally owned by the anime studio Gainax. ... “Pokemon” redirects here. ... “MKR” redirects here. ... Otakon is a fan convention focusing on the art of anime and manga, East Asian culture, and its fandom. ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Yoko Ishida , born October 7, 1973 in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture) is a Japanese singer, employed under Hyper Voice. ...

See also

• Gazen ParaPara!!
• Para Para Paradise
• AVEX Records
• Eurobeat

// Summary of Gazen ParaPara!! 俄然パラパラ学園 ～パラパラだよ！全員集合編～ Cover Art - © Avex Trax, Japan. ... Para Para Paradise is an arcade dance game made by the Japanese company Konami. ... avex trax, is the music department of the Japanese commercial giant Avex Group. ... SUPER EUROBEAT Vol. ...

External links

• ParaParaChile.com Para Para Chilean Forum.
• 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.
• La ruta del parapara A complete history of parapara.
• paraparaAnimation YouTube parapara animation
• [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".