Today we’d like to introduce you to Aika Takeshima.
Hi Aika, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Aika Takeshima from Osaka, Japan. I’m a dance artist based in NYC and also a diversity activist in Japan (founder of LIVABALL), whose mission is to help people find more freedom and possibilities in themselves using my movements, words, and passion. Some people say I’m a minority of minority because I’m lesbian, I’m from a discriminated area in Japan, called “Buraku”, I’m half Japanese half Korean and my father used to be one of a top of Yakuza (Japanese Mafia). Unfortunately, anti-South Korea is still not completely zero in Japan and Yakuza is treated as Anti Social Forces, so some say I should hide these, especially about Yakuza. But I say all of them as my official introduction. Because I am not ashamed of my circumstances. What I do now is not shameful either. I open up the facts that are in general encouraged to be hidden because I want more people to see “the person themselves, not their past or circumstances”.
How I got to where I am today… It all started from my parents. My Korean father had a dream of becoming a professional boxer or an actor, but he was deceived by an acquaintance and had to give up his dream. He has 7 brothers and 1 sister. Except for his sister and one brother, everyone was part of Yakuza. At that time, more than 50 years ago, anti-Korean sentiment was much stronger than it is now, so it was difficult to find a job for them. That’s why my father, who is the youngest one among his family, went on the same path as a Yakuza like most of his brothers. However, my father, who I know, was kinder than anyone else to everyone, also to any clerks. Even when the Great Hanshin Earthquake terribly hit us (6,434 people lost their lives), he gathered food and other items and went straight to the affected area before the Self-Defense Forces did. He volunteered for the victims. Also, my mother’s family, who is from the discriminated area, was very poor without her father but with debt. So she had to give up her dream of becoming a hairstylist(*) and started working when she was still a child.
(*) In Japan, it needs national qualification which is difficult to acquire and it takes time to get.
But I know his athletic ability and ability to take actions and her sense of fashion. In this world, because of poverty or being a minority, there are many people who don’t know how to make their dreams come true, are not even given the opportunity, and/or even underestimate themselves thinking they are not that great. But I know everyone has more “freedom and possibilities” than they think, they just don’t realize it or they just haven’t had the opportunity to learn how to realize/use it… At least I don’t want to give up.
When I am in a pinch, my mother gives me this message: “Keep going. Don’t lose to yourself.” It means whatever your current or past circumstances you have, don’t let them drag you down or decide your life. I don’t want to give up on myself and also I don’t want anyone to give up on anything and anybody.
“Don’t be influenced by your background or the labels that society puts on you!”
“The truth is that everyone is amazing!”
These are what I want to tell everyone. That is why I’m here as a dance artist and activist with the mission of helping people find more freedom and possibilities in themselves using my movements, words, and passion.
If one finds that they are greater than they think, they will feel happy, which leads to higher self-esteem. I believe if self-esteem rises, it will be easier for us to accept others, and we will have a society where people can accept each other even if we are different from ourselves. Accept yourself as you are and others as they are. It’s the most difficult thing, but I think it’s the turning key for a more livable society.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
First, I’d like to say I acknowledge that I’m lucky and there are many people who struggle more than me. Considering this, my personal struggles in my life were always financial problems. Money affects us a lot, our relationships, education, opportunities, mood… As the Japanese asset price bubble collapsed in 1991, my father’s business collapsed too. We became poor and it led to my parents having too many arguments, fights, screaming not only in our house but also outside, cafes, or restaurants. I saw one of our windows got broken because of their fight. It was very tough for me to watch these very often. They ended up divorce because of his way of managing family money. So my mother had to raise me alone with debt. As I said, she doesn’t have good education or job skills. She was stressed, I got stressed sensing her stress, we were both stressed, and we used to have severe arguments or even fights at least once a week.
I quit university because I couldn’t afford it.
I had to stop dancing for a long period a few times in my life to make enough money.
Money has affected me a lot.
But again, I don’t want to give up on myself because of my circumstances.
I take all of these tough experiences in a positive way. I had a lot more experiences that not so many other people have. I learned how to rise from the dust, how to be resilient, how to be patient, to create my opportunity and to never give up. Giving up was not a choice, giving up would mean losing everything and this has never been an option for me. I had to re-start, still holding my dreams to turn it into reality, no matter how hard it was.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My styles are known for “I cant’ figure out your style. What is your background?”. Because I have pursued various performance methods— Locking, Hip hop, Ballet, Jazz, Floor-work, Contemporary, Improvisation, Performing Arts, Acting, etc.— my style is considered unique.
I use all this dance trainings to make artworks that narrate people specific stories with specific purpose, not to just show off techniques.
“I WANT TO USE MY TECHNIQUE TO EXPRESS MY STORY, I’M NOT USING MY STORY TO EXPRESS MY TECHNIQUE.” (-by me)
I strongly believe in the power of art raising our self confidence, leading understanding of diversity erasing discrimination and prejudice.
For this reason, themes of my works are always based on the sensation of what everyone needs right now or something we should take off from us. Sometimes, it’s to make people laugh, feel free/light, other times to let them reflect about themselves, to find and remember something important that they tend to forget, like solidarity.
I and my fiancé Sara Pizzi are currently working on a dance project “L TRAIN” that will be premiered at Green Space (37-24 24th St Suites 211 + 212, Long Island City, NY 1110) on January 21st and 22nd 2022.
L TRAIN is a 40 min dance performance that involves 7 dancers.
It speaks about us, the uncomfortable common sensation that we are not in control of events. Even if one moment, right now, is precious, it is not going to last forever. Relationships, patterns, work, view, people, personality, thoughts are subject to change. Where is the stability? Things change even in a few seconds, without acknowledging it. At the end, life seems like the L train line: everyone goes in the same direction, but nobody has the same destination.
We are going to keep performing this production in NYC theaters during 2022/23/24.
How do you define success?
Success for me is to keep growing up and loving my family.
If I keep trying to overcome my weak points, or find good ways to deal with both weak and strong points, I can get closer one step by one step to whatever goals I will have at that time.
I have believed that everyone leaves everyone no matter what. But I’ve found my fiancé who strongly believes in love and the importance of supporting each other. She made me realize that family love/relationship is what I need. Her love has made me grow up so much. Now I’ve been learning how to show love with the support of my teacher(=fiancé) 🙂
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://aikatakeshima.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aikatakeshima/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aika.takeshima/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AikaTakeshima
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5In50yO4hEruZjC0jsh6Jw
Image Credits
BeccaVision
Chanette Manso
Sara Pizzi
Alice Castro
Tatiana Hochrein
Renfang Ke
