Fox hayashi performance at a festival

An important part of the traditional festivals around Japan is the hayashi performances. In this video you can see a fox masked dancer showing off to a passing dashi festival wagon / float, where there is also a hayashi dancer. Their skill is something else. They are dancers, actors and performers rolled into one.

I would love to understand more about the performances, I believe many of them depict ancient fables. However, I personally find without even knowing the intricacies of the art or history you can thoroughly enjoy the performances. There is something very invigorating about hayashi. See for yourself: