Robots learn Japanese cultural dance

Slashdot has an interesting roundup today entitled "Dancing Robots Help Preserve Japanese Culture". Lots of links! From the Yahoo! article:

Katsushi Ikeuchi, a professor of engineering at Tokyo University, said the robot, which is usually used at construction sites, was taught traditional Japanese dance to preserve the art for the future.

The slow-paced dance, which is performed in groups and accompanied by lutes and other Japanese instruments, is rapidly losing ground in 21st-century Japan, with many young people only encountering it at local festivals.

Unfortunately, the articles don't say what the dancing is called in Japanese.