Artist Statement - Street Dance Culture

I was born in Korea. I now live in Japan since I was in junior high school. When I was in junior-high school, I was strongly interested in sub-culture of Japan. Especially street culture in Japan was the most thing I interested in. This country, Japan is famous and strongly invloved in world fashion and many of street cultures, such as arts and activities. I see those dancers, skaters, graffities on the street as one fashion of sub-culture in Japan. Since I was enjoyed to see those street activities, one day I felt to join them so I can actually feel and experience what is real street culture. Mostly I was strongly interested in Street Dance Culture. I started to learn how to do break dance since I was in junior-high school. Until I could learn basic steps and some moves, I was all learning by myself with watching videos and also practicing with my friends. Now I have been dancing for almost 4 to 5 years. I could have opportunities to have dance events and many showcases with my friends and own team, however there was no big chance to get into real street culture. Sometime people see those dancers practicing on the street, in front of those buildings. Even though I had chances to dance and practice alot, it was all my own stuff and always with my friends. I suddenly felt if I am on this way, there is no chance to experience real street culture in Japan. For all that, I entered this community of street dance and joined a team called Cube that is dance team gather usually on the street in Shinjuku, Japan. It is true that I am very interested in this street dance culture but not only for me experiencing, I want to people to have more interests in this subject. Tells the real story of, what kinds of people are really there, what is their actual goal, reason they do dance on the street, these or more fact and real side of street dance culture, I make a short documentary with many visual scenes but also interviewing those dancers and ask them about this sub-culture. I map some popular street dancing places in Tokyo and actually go there to see the fact.

Proposal for Final Project

There are three possible topics I might be interested in.

1. What is Street Culture.
There are many street cultures in Japan. Such as Street Dance, Skaters, Graffiti, or Street Bands. I can focus on those street cultures in Tokyo to find out how their life is with doing those performances.

2. Be concentrate and specific about Street Dance
Where they dance, What is purpose of groups' gathering. And what kinds of people are in their group. Can be specify by interviewing them and following them with joining the groups.

3. Mapping the place Street Dancers usually gather in Tokyo
Research where dances actually gather in Tokyo, such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Nakano. I can mapping most places and put in to one edit film.

I'm thinking I mainly focused on what I actually had for my 1st, 3 days observation exercise.

3rd Day Observation

Today I went to the place those members of CUBE usually gather for practicing. They told me that they only go to studio 1 to 2 times in a month. Since I did not know where is the place, I was asked to be at Shinjuku Station at 6:45 PM. Members usually starts at 7 pm after building is closed so they can gather there at night.

Takashi told me that there was another place they used to practice before which is in Nakano, but since these days some parts of area became kind a strict by police so he decided to move this Sompo Japan Building at Shinjuku. This is also well known place to other dancers.

When I actually got there at 7 pm, it looked really great that not only team of CUBE but many other dance groups were practicing there. It was really interesting because we can never see those bunch of dancers on the street but when you walk couple blocks and reach to this building there were bunch of them.

Today, as I made the promise with Ryo to perform breakdance yesterday, I joined the group and practiced together. Performance time was going to be start at 9:30 pm. Today since there were only few house dancers, we decided to get break dance and house dance together.

After all other performace finished, 10 o'clock some people went home and some stayed for dinner. We went to izakaya called WaraWara, and had a dinner and drinks. Today there were other new member who is same age as me. One guy was called Hironori and another guy was called Ryo. Not the new one but old member of Ryo told me including himself and this new member called Ryo, there are 4 people who called Ryo in CUBE. It was really funny. As we having dinner we became really nice friends. Again it was all different kind of people all different age were exist in a group. Unfortunately, I did not have much chance to talk other women dancers but they were good too.

For the final project, it was great chance to get to know them. I will not finish here for joining this team called CUBE. I will continue to keep in touch with them and go to practice so I can get more information. I might take this story of street dancer's daily life or thoughts for the final project too.

I asked the guy to take the video while I am performing with other members. Quality is little massed up because today I forgot to bring digital camera so it is taken by mobile phone camera. Very first part I also break dance together with members. I am doing solo part too (white shirt with black pants)

2nd Day Observation

Today member of CUBE were going to meet at Kouenji Station at 2:15 afternoon. Because of the weather, we were going to practice at dance studio called Cross Mode. Leader Takashi told me that this is also the place they sometimes come for practicing. Because it is not practicing on the street, studio had a fee to pay. Each of member payed about 500 Yen and Takashi collected them. Really kind thing was because it was first day for me to join the group I did not have to pay for this time. Practice was going until 5 o'clock.

From 4:30 each group of each genre had performacing time. Takashi told me it is normal thing they to at the end of the practice. People show to other members what they have done during the practice.

As I talked to Takashi after all practice is finish he told me that not only young people but many different ages are coming to practice. He is also not just dancer and he told me that he is working at bank company. Also there was one guy called Tomo who is locking dancer and now 41 years old but he looked almost 30. Tomo told me way to keep young looking is dancing. He was kind of funny guy. Also I talked to a guy called Ryo who is break dancer. He was 23 years old and was a student. He was doing house dance because there were no breakdancers in the group and I promised him to join the breakdance practice next time. Also there was a women called Satchan (Maybe it is nickname) who is 25 years old. She actually brought her 4 years old daughter to the practice. She was really cute.

As I see there were many kinds of different people were practicing. Next time I will try to join them the practice.

Takashi's group performances for house dance

1st Day Observation

I also have experiecnes for dancing but it was always with my friends but not usually on the street. Therefore, since I had no idea to find out where usually street dances gather for the practicing, I decided to use some Japanese community websites to find out where they do the practicing. I used the most famous community website called MIXI, which is very likely to facebook, and since I could search the group for genre by genre, I searched dance community on the site and found out community called Street Dance Community for Anyone Who Want to Join. In that community I found one of dance team called CUBE's advertising post for collecting members.

I decided to contact with them because this team is not only for one specific genre of dance but had lots different genre such as house, lock, break dance, and etc people can practice on. So it means I can meet lots of different people.

I called the number that was posted on the page and I talked to leader of team who names Takashi. I asked him where his team usually goes to practice and also asked him about if I can join or not. He said it is no problem for me to join the group. As I was talking to him, he was really nice guy who is really friendly. He told me, him and other people usually go practice on Wednesday and Sunday at Sompo Japan Building that is usually called Yasuda Building at Shinjuku. For this weekend, because it is raining he told me they are going to go to dance studio on Saturday and for Sunday he said people will have practice at that building even those it is raining, he told me it will be fine because there is a roof.

Proposal for 3 Days Assignment

This is the first entry for my blog, Tokyo Stories.

For 3 days observational exercise, there are actually 3 steps for each days. Basic topic for my assignment is sub-culture of Japan, which is street dancers. Exercise is based on where those dancers take the place for practicing, what kind of people usually goes to those specific places for dancing and reason their doing dance. Basically it is research to get to know more about street dancers.

First day, the exercise is focusing on finding information. Since it is not that easy to find those dancer's place, first I have to find the place they practice or perfome and find the group I can contact to.

Second day, I go to the place I found and joined the group, and mainly focus on observation or I can talk either.

Third day, I try to join them for practicing and film or record the material. This day can be focus on more conversation with groups.