Okayama University's dance club received a Special Award for "Creative Direction Appropriate to the Theme" at the 36th, All-Japan Dance Festival-KOBE held in Kobe from August 7 to 10. This award is one of the top ten awards of the festival.

Known as the "Koshien of Dance," this annual festival attracts many teams from across Japan every year. This year, 107 high schools and universities participated.

The dance performance by the club, titled "Night of Noctiluca - From Lafcadio Hearn's ' Noctiluca'," was inspired by Lafcadio Hearn's final work, "Noctiluca" (from his book "Kage," 1900). Noctiluca, a cellular life form, shines brightly at night during large outbreaks, and this tiny life-form represents a motif reflecting Hearn's worldview. The performance depicted the noctiluca's sparkling glow in the dark sea, with the light of countless stars shimmering in hues of sapphire, emerald, and ruby. Hearn perceived this scene as a grand spiritual world where reality and fantasy merge, viewing himself as a luminous point drifting in the sea of mystery. The dance used a white fabric covering the stage and effective lighting to express Hearn's fantastical imagery.

This marks the 11th time the dance club has received an award at the festival.

The dance club engages in a wide range of dance genres, including expressive and rhythmic styles, and is expected to continue to achieve great success.