moshi-moshi, Hello Kitty!

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - International feline superstar Hello Kitty returned to her Japanese roots on Monday, donning a kimono and dancing like a geisha in a bid to convince young girls that traditional is cool.

Twirling and sliding in a bright red and black kimono, the cat that epitomizes cuteness for legions of fans the world over performed traditional steps normally reserved for geishas and kabuki actors to a rapt audience of mainly preschoolers.

"As Hello Kitty is a Japan-born internationally loved cute character, we asked her to cooperate with us to teach children in a fun and easy to understand way Japanese culture," said Megumi Morioka of Sogetsu Bunkajigyo, the organizers of the event and one of Japan's biggest flower arrangement companies.

After demonstrating a complex traditional "buyo" dance, Hello Kitty demonstrated simple dance moves with a fan to the children, who haltingly imitated her.

"The dance was very beautiful," said four-year-old Mana Noshida after the event. "It was so cute," added Eika Mitsui, 5.

The Hello Kitty character, owned by Sanrio Co, is 33 years old and one of Japan's biggest cultural exports, emblazoned on goods in 60 countries.

While many Japanese women still don kimonos for New Year's Day, graduations and other special occasions, the elaborate gowns have become less popular over the years, especially with trendy youth. Other traditional crafts and artforms are also trying to lure more young people to keep them alive.