BRIDGE Capital LLC on Tuesday donated $2,500 to the CNMI Domatsuri dancers.

Gordon Marciano, CNMI Domatsuri member, said the funds will help pay for the five-member dance troupe’s upcoming appearance at the Nippon Domannaka Festival in Nagoya, Japan.

According to its website, the Nippon Domannaka Festival “welcomes 210 dance teams with 23,000 performers from inside and outside Japan.”

Various dance groups will “prepare original dances and music that give a sense of their local culture,” the website stated.

Marciano and the CNMI Domatsuri dancers have been attending the festival since 2003. He said previous festivals included representatives from Russia, Korea, Taiwan, and China.

This year’s event will take place on Aug. 25-28.

Marciano said although there is a competition element to the Nippon Domannaka Festival, the CNMI Domatsuri dancers will be there for a different reason.

He said their trip is “a goodwill cultural exchange that builds friendships and connections through cultural dances.” An important component of their travel is the promotion of the CNMI as a destination, he added.

Bridge Capital LLC General Manager Bart Jackson appreciates the link between culture and tourism.

“These kinds of cultural exchanges really benefit tourism so much more dramatically than 20 years ago or 30 years ago,” he said. “You really need to have that additional component to be successful as a destination.”