Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aika Takeshima. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Aika, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
This is all thanks to my mother, who never values the same things as others. Since I was small, I’ve heard her say she doesn’t like major fashion brands because it means you’re wearing the same thing as many others. At the same time, she has shared with me her struggles with people looking back at her because she is too cool for her age and different from others. She hates that. So I’ve learned both sides: being unique is cool, but I need to be ready to be pointed out by some people because I look different. That’s why I’m ready and proud to be different. I don’t mind people’s judgment; instead, I can take it as proof that I’m different, which means unique. I’m happy and proud to be different from others, especially regarding my artistry. I change movements if someone has done the same movements before; this is because my dance style is “contemporary,” which needs to keep being renewed rather than protect the style, such as classical ballet or folk dance. I VALUE UNIQUENESS, as my mother has taught me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a dance artist, co-director, and choreographer of the sarAika movement collective based in New York City. I am also a DEI practitioner and the founder of LIVABALL, a DEI consulting firm. Today, I would like to share more about my dance background. I have worked in the dance industry for over ten years, performing in numerous local and international shows and events. What excites me most about my work is using my body to deliver messages through movement and inspiring and connecting with others through my art. What sets me apart from other contemporary dancers is my fluid, dynamic, and irregularly shaped movements, made possible by joint utilization and my long-term research and forever passion for the torso. I am constantly trying to push the limitations to dance bigger and find new ways to move by twisting/reaching the body and separating joints. Also, I am eager to develop effective ways to express messages through my choreography.
Currently, the co-director Sara Pizz and I have just started working on revisiting and extending one of our repertoires, “Double Bind,” which underlines and empowers women’s voices using hair-artworks, spoken words, and interviews with women in our community. We plan to incorporate actors and AR technology to enhance our message and premiere it in the fall of 2024.
Additionally, we are participating in three community events in May and June as a guest company for DANCE PARADE NYC, PRIDE MARCH NYC, and JAPAN PRADE. We are also working on new projects for several organizations, so stay tuned for updates. I am grateful to be able to pursue my passion for dance and share my art with others. I hope that my work inspires others to express themselves and embrace their unique talents and abilities.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back on my journey, I would say that the three most essential qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that have had the most significant impact on me are hard work, trusting my growth, and curiosity.
For anyone who is early in their journey, my advice would be to focus on developing these three things as much as possible. Firstly, hard work is essential to achieving any success. It’s important to set goals and work towards them consistently, even if it means putting in long hours or making sacrifices.
Secondly, it’s crucial to trust in your growth and abilities. You must believe that you have the potential to achieve great things and that you can continue to learn and grow throughout your life. This mindset will help you stay motivated and resilient in facing challenges.
Finally, curiosity is a crucial ingredient to success. Being curious means that you’re always eager to learn new things and expand your knowledge. This will help you stay adaptable and open-minded, which is essential in a constantly evolving world.
So, my advice to anyone starting their journey would be to work hard, trust your growth, and stay curious. By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals and living a fulfilling life.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
It’s better to use our strength, but I firmly believe we need to work on both strength and weakness. And DO MORE.
As our stregths and weaknesss are two sides of the same coin, we can learn more about our strengths by understanding our weaknesses, and vice versa. For instance, a quick learner/worker might need more details and quality, while a high-quality details learner/worker might take more time. Similarly, a friendly person can attract a nice community but may be taken advantage of ; on the other hand, a person who looks too firm won’t let others use them but also not be surrounded by a nice community. (There are too many examples to list here…) We must be clearly aware of both our strengths and weaknesses and strive to work on both.
If we focus only on our strengths, we may become ignorant of other important areas in our lives. If we focus only on our weaknesses, we may not develop our unique talents and skills to their fullest potential, and we won’t be more excellent in any area than others. For example, as a dancer, my strength is dynamic and fluid irregularly shaped movements, and my weakness is classic ballet technique. I’ve worked on both sides because otherwise, I would be just a noodle dancer(meaning, no alignment like seaweed or noodle) and couldn’t make the dynamics in my choreography and also would not be able to understand how to collaborate with classically trained dancers.
Lastly, as I said earlier, I encourage everyone to DO MORE, even if it takes more time and patience, to continue to work on themselves and to strive for growth..I feel many people think they’ve done enough already, but no. Actually, even if we feel we have done enough, there is always more room for improvement. The greatest athletes, for example, do drills over and over. They are already so good, but they do more, keep finding things to improve, and keep growing. Let us all continue to grow and improve together!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aikatakeshima.com & https://saraikacreation.com
- Instagram: @aikatakeshima https://www.instagram.com/aikatakeshima/
- Facebook: @aikatakeshima https://www.facebook.com/aika.takeshima
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5In50yO4hEruZjC0jsh6Jw
Image Credits
-Queensboro Dance Festival -Emma Iskowitz for unKEMpT Dance Festival -ALICE CHACON PHOTOGRAPHY for 7MPR Sixth Midnight Performance
