I’ve arrived just in time for the start of their lesson, led by dance teachers Mon Fujima and Monnosuke Fujima. But before they begin, the room must be rearranged so that only one lone table is front and center for Mon Fujima to kneel at and observe the women dancing, while the rest are pushed to the side. The young geiko and maiko all rush to help move everything into place while also bringing me a chair to perch on.

To begin, four geiko take their places facing Mon Fujima. Three of them are holding a tsuzumi (hand drum) while the other is cradling a fue (flute). A maiko in a pastel pink kimono presses play on a CD player and the room comes alive with music. Monnosuke Fujima gestures to commence and the women start, playing their respective instruments while simultaneously belting out a sort of chant before getting up to dance, withdrawing fans from their obi belts. When the scene ends, he signals once again, using his hands to emulate a curtain drop, and the girls seamlessly swap out for the next act, shuffling swiftly into place.

The Gion Odori dance is comprised of seven parts altogether: an opening act and six scenes. As I watch them rehearse for the performance, I’m astounded by how far of a departure these dances are from the ones I had been exposed to at my first geisha dinner. Their movements are much more pronounced than the subtle gestures that I had previously seen. At the end of the lesson, when they all say thank you and goodbye to one another, Mon Fujima even notes the contemporary nature of the festival’s numbers, urging them to continue practicing traditional dances. For the Tokyo-born teacher who has more than 30 years of guiding students and whose father previously taught the women of Gion Higashi, carrying on tradition is what’s most important to her. “Geiko and maiko are not just learning traditional arts, but also mannerisms, etiquette, and attitude. Even how to bow—instead of standing, you should be kneeling and bowing to every individual, not just one single bow for the whole group. It’s like training. Nowadays, people don’t really consider it and think it’s too much to go through the hassle, but simplifying is not everything. People think simplifying is the best way to live daily life, making it more convenient, but it’s not.”