How was the workshop?

shoji : People were very open, cheerful and energetic that made us easy to do the workshop. The participants are quick in learning the routine and the level of the dancers was very high.
Considering the fact that we only met just those few dancers out of many in the Philippines, it is thrilling to think that this country has so much potential with in.
The participants were very cheerful with a open mind and they just start chatting when they get excited. During the workshop, there were times that participants were concentrating and times where participants were smiling and having fun. In that sense, I was happy to see that the participants were enjoying the workshop.

NOPPO : I felt that the people in the Philippines were very honest to their emotions. When they get exited, they do. When they don’t feel like getting excited, they don’t. I cannot speak English so well, but I learned from my instinct in a way, I was communicating though dancing and was sharing the happiness together.

kazuki : I was actually helped by the energy of the people here. I was nervous the first day, but when Shoji told everyone “ let’s do it!” We had a good reaction back from the participants. So I felt comfortable at once and really enjoyed the workshop.

What is the impression of the dancers in the Philippines?

shoji : In Japan, we do have friends that are Filipinos and half- Filipinos. In fact, a dancer called Shaun Evaristo ,who is rooted to the Philippines, motivated us to form s**t kingz as a group. I was very impressed and inspired by his performance and I thought “ I want to create something like this in Japan”. That is how we established our group. So it was also meaningful for us to come to the Philippines and do the very first oversea performance stage in here.

■ What do you look forward to for DANCE DANCE ASIA, which continues till 2020? Is there anything you would like to try out?

shoji : Firstly, we really got good inspiration this time. Due to the difference of price and economic standard, it is difficult to create a framework in which the dancers here invite the Japanese dancers to their own country and ask them to perform or to do workshop in reality. But since the Japan Foundation has provided us such opportunity with an aim to promote exchanges between the countries, I really feel that it is a good opportunity for Japanese and Asian dancers to be connected together. I went to Singapore to be the judge for a dance contest before. There were many dancers from Asia, but there were no Japanese participants. It made me feel really sad. I learned that this project would be going on until 2020 and we will have the Olympics that year. So it would be very interesting to create something like a festival for Japanese and Asian dancers, which make the entertainment scene more exciting.