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.

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".

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.

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 The Para Para Paradise video series has since been replaced by the Gazen Para Para!!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.

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.

For more information / http://www.paraparaparadise.net/
special thank / wikipedia.org
VDO Clip / youtube.com