Expanding the amateur field and the ideal way of supporting street dance

Fabas: Hearing Ozawa san's experiences makes me feel that there are a lot of opportunities for street dance in Indonesia as well. Although it may take some time, I would definitely like to make the most of what we discussed here today. When you think about the future growth of the Indonesian economy, I think that there are various possibilities for the street dance scene, so what I would like to do first and foremost is to share this story with my dance friends back home. With them, I would like to figure out what we can do to develop the creative industry. I am keen to learn from other countries, especially Japan, so it was very helpful to hear today how you started En Dance Studio and established the company brand.

Kosugi: With regard to branding that Hamdi san just mentioned, is there any concept or philosophy that you particularly had in mind, Ozawa san?

Ozawa: Just as the name of our studio suggests, what I think is most important is the connection among people. The very existence of En Dance Studio depends on the connection that people make with each other through dance. This is why we created our logo based on the image of tree rings, hoping that the people-to-people connection will grow thicker over the years. The feel of brushstrokes used on the logo represents the Japanese way of life while also expressing our desire to connect with the world.

Kosugi: The world that you would like to connect with surely includes the Southeast Asian street dance scene. What impression do you both have of the current Southeast Asian dance scene?

Ozawa: I have had the experience of visiting the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, and I am always amazed by the physical strength and ability of the Southeast Asian dancers. My impression is that many of them have a strong sense of music and dance. For example, among those who are active in the U.S., there are many Filipino dancers. However, for economic reasons and in terms of access to information, sometimes it may be difficult for dance communities in Southeast Asia to grow and spread. Given this situation, I see potential in Hamdi san's way of creating dance communities on the internet, and I believe that there is scope for development in the Indonesian dance scene.

Fabas: I have a lot of expectations in that respect too. As we established ourselves as the first generation of street dancers in Indonesia, the dance environment such as studio availability gradually improved. When it comes to dance, I think it is important to stay open-minded and broad in our way of thinking. That is why I have been actively involved in TV programs and dance contests, working with other artists as well. I have worked with record labels and with Luam Ky, who is in charge of Beyonce's choreography. I also have a friend who is a member of a group called P.H.A.T., and this group is keen to invite instructors from the U.S. and other countries. In the future, it would be great if we could organize something together with En Studio. By linking up with En Studio, we hope to widen our connections beyond Japan and Indonesia to reach out to the whole of Southeast Asia.

Ozawa: That is wonderful. Since "En" is a dance studio, it can act as a lead wire. The studio would be the center from which our instructors spread out into the world. The ideal would be for our instructors to be active worldwide so that dancers around the world would want to come to En Studio to participate in our classes. In this way, I am hoping that Shibuya would become the center of the global street dance scene, spreading information around the world and creating a trend.

Kosugi: I think it is possible to raise the level of street dance in general by widening the sphere to include not only those who intend to become professionals but also the amateur field. What are your thoughts about getting more amateurs involved?

Ozawa: At En Dance Studio, we send dance instructors to schools. For example, in Gunma, we send teachers to kindergartens, elementary schools and junior high schools. We also offer training sessions to school teachers, hoping that such initiatives will provide non-professionals with the entry point into street dance. Also, those who come to the fitness center are often interested in music or dance as a hobby, so we try to offer lessons that suit everyone's needs. Roughly divided, classes for professionals are held at En Studio, whereas fun lessons for amateurs are offered at the studio inside the fitness center.

Fabas: I am also greatly interested in reaching out to the amateur field. The question here is how to attract the general public and to get them interested in street dance. I am learning by trial and error, but one thing I noticed is that we seem to receive more enrollments every time a new dance movie is released. They include both amateurs and those who want to become professionals, so this means that there is an increase in both fields. This is why I am starting work to produce an Indonesian made dance movie so that I do not have to rely solely on foreign movies. By setting a trend that is recognized by the general public, I want more people to think, "It's cool to dance".

Kosugi: Also, there are cases where cultural projects receive assistance from companies or the government. What in your minds would be the ideal approach to supporting street dance?

Fabas: As I mentioned before, dance is associated not only with sports and education but also with academics and culture. There is a growing interest in street dance from the general public, and I believe that by supporting street dance in the form of a stage performance, a company can show that it is making a social contribution outside its business interests. To make this a reality, the most important thing is for the dancers to display passion in doing what they love most and to show people that dance has great potential. In addition, we want to continue our activities always remembering that dance can be used as a tool for the younger generation to lead a healthy and mindfully creative life. At the same time, we have to be careful that dance is not exploited by business activities.

Ozawa: In my opinion, support from companies and government is important, and it would be good if we could collaborate. However, we need to present street dance in a way that is truly appealing to the general public by appointing performers who are respected by fellow dancers. Otherwise it would be difficult to gain support from the street dancers themselves. In this respect, DANCE DANCE ASIA^*6 , organized by the Japan Foundation Asia Center and PARCO Co., Ltd., is a case of success. Thanks to this project, which invites competent and highly acclaimed dancers to perform, we are witnessing a trend where people who have seen DANCE DANCE ASIA overseas are coming to Japan to learn street dance. So in a way, I would say that we have already achieved our ideals. In the future, we would like to make new suggestions from a different perspective that will hopefully open up new opportunities to collaborate with companies and the government.

^*6 DANCE DANCE ASIA is a project that creates stage performances with a particular focus on street dance. In recent years, street dance has been drawing considerable attention as a "new form of expression" in performing arts. The project was launched in 2014 with the aim of encouraging interaction among dancers and generating new cultural creations in Asia.

[Octber 3, 2017 at En Dance Studio Shibuya School]

More Information

DANCE DANCE ASIA―Crossing the Movements　Official Website

Interviewer: Atsushi Kosugi
Writer and editor, Kosugi is mainly involved in covering stage performances and editing brochures. He has been working with DANCE DANCE ASIA since 2016, conducting interviews and editing public relations material such as performance brochures.

Photo: Nobuhiko Hikiji