Street dance jumps onto cultural front stage

OSAKA —

Street dance, initially popularized by African-Americans and introduced to Japan a quarter century ago, is enjoying renewed popularity as a club activity at schools and culture lessons for children.

Under a railroad bridge near JR Osaka Station, groups of young people are seen dancing every midnight, checking their forms reflected on storefront windows.

Street dance comprises several genres, with hip-hop among the most popular at the moment.

The 15th Japan Dance Delight to select Japan’s No. 1 dancer was held at the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium in Osaka on Aug 30. Visitors to the contest, said to be the world’s largest event of its kind, numbered some 10,000.

In addition to 37 Japanese teams winning preliminary competitions in six regions, teams from the United States, Taiwan, France and South Korea which have also won their respective regional contests were invited.

In a serial TV drama on public broadcaster NHK, heroine Nana Eikura is trying to become a street dancer. An event in which she appears as a competitor is modeled after Japan Dance Delight, and in preparation for the role, she visited last year’s event in Yokohama.

Although there are no official statistics, the number of street dancers in Japan is said to total around 200,000, with about 500 specialized schools and studios.

Street dance clubs are popular at junior and senior high schools across the country. And at dance studios in Osaka City, classes for children are increasingly common. Parents are also enthusiastic about these classes as extracurricular activities for children.

Nine-year-old Mayu Sunada expressed a desire to learn street dance two years ago after seeing a TV program. ‘‘All what she wants are books and DVDs about street dance. Her future dream is to become a dance teacher,’’ said her mother Junko.

The street dance boom is timely because dance will become a compulsory subject in health and physical education at junior high schools in April 2012, and it include modern rhythm dance, such as street dance.

About street dance’s attraction, Hiromitsu Harada, president of ADHIP in Osaka which sponsors Japan Dance Delight, said, ‘‘A free atmosphere different from ballet and ballroom dance is catching the fancy of young people.’’

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10 Comments

onewrldoneppl at 08:12 AM JST - 25th October

female, Japanese reggae dances are WONDERFUL!!! i wish more of them would perform on the streets. especially near my station. i could watch for hours.
rjd_jr at 09:06 AM JST - 25th October

Street dance, whether break dance or popping/locking and whatnot, are yet another phenomenon taken by Japanese artists to a whole new level. I've seen dozens of videos on YouTube and the Japanese dancers like U Min are head and shoulders above other dancers around the globe.
Osakadaz at 01:03 PM JST - 25th October

agreed and agreed.
Smythe at 04:39 AM JST - 26th October

Agree that Street Dancing is some Hip-Hop, to Street Dancing to Tap Dancing. Lovely to see in action. So if it is accepted & used in the schools as an excercise then things will boom into other forms of dancing.

On the Cdn to possibly American TVs is the "So you think you can dance" which brings out the young dancers of where one sees Hip-Hop along with Street Dancing, to Tap Dancing, to Jitter Bug, to Ball Room dancing, to Disco, to you name it & shows young people that reach the top can do all forms of dancing.

With both hips broken in past 10 plus years, a trick ankle I cannot trust to both knees shot, to injured back (down-fall of m/c competition to farming accidents to even home accidents----I am simply floundered at what these young people can do let alone the flex & power they have in their bodies to limbs.
meanmutha at 10:10 AM JST - 26th October

Under a railroad bridge near JR Osaka Station, groups of young people are seen dancing every midnight, checking their forms reflected on storefront windows. .......jesus.
meanmutha at 10:10 AM JST - 26th October

bright future at midnight
KaptainKichigai at 02:35 PM JST - 26th October

Just the latest craze in the eternal saga of social conformity, acceptance and rebellion being exploited for a profit by corporate commercialism.
jwills79 at 03:26 PM JST - 26th October

Rjd Jr.

You are seriously wrong. The level of Street dancing in Japan is good but not the best. You have not seen the dance movement still happen in the States. Those who invented this Phenomenon are still the leaders. Street dancing hasn't died in the US it is still strong. If it no longer existed in the US then I could see where you are coming from. But it hasn't and they are doing things in the States Japan, has not learned how to do yet. Japan is still catching up. Where do you think they are getting the inspiration from? US dance scene!!!

Oh, I am pretty sure you have not researched street dance all over the world. If you had they would tell you the Urban youth of American is still number #1. If you have a conversation with J dancers in Japan they would tell you the same thing. I have talked them.;)
fatloser at 12:57 PM JST - 27th October

Street dance is for those without the athletic ability to break dance
EurajReturns at 12:04 AM JST - 29th October

Just the latest craze in the eternal saga of social conformity, acceptance and rebellion being exploited for a profit by corporate commercialism.

Or Kichigai-taicho being a spoilsport.