Today we’d like to introduce you to Aika Takeshima.
Hi Aika, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’m a dance artist, co-founder/director of a contemporary dance company sarAika movement collective, and a DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) practitioner. I came to The U.S. in 2014 to learn contemporary dance for just 9 months. Even though I was already dancing professionally in Japan, my style was either street dance or jazz dance, but when I got to know the existence of contemporary dance for the first time through an American TV show “So You Think You Can Dance”, I was blown away. I immediately started researching more about contemporary dance online and watched a lot of videos of performances and classes. Unfortunately, there were huge differences between contemporary dance of the world and Japan. I couldn’t find the contemporary dance I wanted to do in Japan. That’s why I spent two years saving money and came to America to learn contemporary dance in 2014. I was 28 years old at that time. I knew it was already very late as a dancer, but I was more sure that I’d regret it so badly until I died if I didn’t try it at that time. Even though the original plan was just 9 months, I found potential in myself as a dancer in this country that I didn’t realize in Japan, and that let me decide to live here for a longer term. Still now, I keep finding more possibilities, opportunities, such amazing and creative artists that I really enjoy working with, and thanks to all of these, now I’m a co-director of a dance company, “sarAika movement collective” with Sara Pizzi, who is also an immigrant dance artist. We’ve performed more than 70 times since 2021, supporting local communities, LGBTQIA+ and immigrant women, and offered affordable community classes to emergent dance artists. I’m very honored and happy about where I am today.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Everyone has their own struggles no matter their age, social status, gender, etc., but in my case, it was all about financial situation and lack of information. After my parents divorced when I was still in elementary school, it had been so hard for my mother to earn money to survive and raise me. After I started to work at the age of 18, I also helped my family’s finances, which means my partial salary was for my family. Of course, I didn’t have enough money and time to learn dance or art abroad. Additionally, I didn’t grow up with a dance and art environment at all and that’s why it took longer for me than other dancers to obtain essential information and education to be a professional dance artist. But I didn’t want to use my past life as excuses to give up my career as a dance artist. I’ve kept trying to knock and open every door to grow, even now at the age of 37, I keep training my body about 18 hours a week, have rehearsals, create works, and run our dance company learning from everything I encounter. I’ve been trying to make up for the time I could have spent dancing and learning art and essential skills as a founder/director of a dance company.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The theme/mission/purpose to create dance artworks and our movements style are what I think set us apart from others. Let me introduce them one by one.
About our theme/mission/purpose, we create dance artworks documenting topical aspects, highlighting minority groups and underrepresented communities – creating a safe space for reflection pursuing the value of authenticity to bond our community. Our company advocates for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. Since I’m a certified DEI practitioner, I’m the DEI officer in charge of checking and tracking our company’s environment and DEI work, aiming to offer the platform which we have been looking for, a safe place of growth and launch desired from our diverse communities. And we aim to spread them in the dance industry.
For example, one of our newest works “DOUBLE BIND,” is to empower the women community. It focuses on translating voices into movement from those who identify as or resonate with the qualities of being a woman; Double Bind delivers a universal message of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and human connection. The process has consisted of independent research and interviewing folks from NYC, Italy, and Japan to acquire a full scope of the cultural experience that women share in sarAika movement collective’s broad community. This allowed us to create an organic script that underlines and empowers women’s voices in reference to the cascading events and harsh rhetoric that the women’s rights movement has faced over the past few years all over the world.
About our movements style, we focus on effective use of joints of the body that can make elegant floorwork and dynamic weight shifting without a lot of power. We’ve seen many floor-works these days, but most of them require power, or their beauty (which I assume) is in fast speed and wildness. While our floor-works are elegant and smooth movements as if a snake is dancing, maintaining a long body alignment without being short or contracting the body. And the use of joints really helps us do dynamic weight shiftings while we dance standing. We have gotten so many positive comments and feedback about our choreography, such as “Very fluid and dynamic movements” “Great musicality and unique style”.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Now I’m an introvert, love staying home, being worried about what I should say, and I find it difficult to enjoy conversation with others, especially if the topics are small talk with multiple people. However, I was so honest and used to say anything I came up with when I was a child. Also, I was so agile and wild (still now); I loved playing outside with a ball, climbing trees, etc., never playing inside. I was very curious about anything (also still now), always loving to know new things. A lot of agility and curiosity are still with me, and I think I’ll keep embracing them!
Pricing:
- Contemporary dance class on Tuesday 5:30-7:00 pm @Gramercy Dance Studios $23/single class, $110/5 class package, $200/10 class package https://www.gramercydancestudios.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://saraikacreation.com and https://aikatakeshima.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aikatakeshima/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aika.takeshima
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5In50yO4hEruZjC0jsh6Jw
Image Credits
BeccaVision
Mayu Studio
Peter Yesley
Masaki Hori
Shoin High School Dance Club
