you're a fool if you dance, and a fool if you just look on; we're all fools, so let's dance
Proverb from the Awa Odori festival song, encouraging participation and letting go of self-consciousness. Often used to suggest that it's better to join in and have fun than to stand aside and judge.
There's a lyric from the Awa Odori song: 'The dancing fool and the watching fool are both fools; if you're going to be a fool, you might as well dance.'
Don't be shy—join in! Like they say, you're a fool if you dance and a fool if you just watch.
From the first line of a song sung during the Awa Odori festival in Tokushima Prefecture. The exact origin of the phrase is tied to the festival's tradition.