Today was the first Hyper class since Anna-san�fs heart to heart. It was a lot of fun. Namio-kun was there for the first time in quite a while. At the start of class, people just stood around talking. The guy who�fs name I don�ft remember (I know almost no one�fs name it�fs really sad) came up and bowed to me for some reason. I think he might like me because he came up to me when we were walking into the station and asked how I got home, etc. But that was after class. Back to before class. Namio-kun was doing his spinning on his head thing, and the guy was video taping it with one of the Obasan�fs video cameras. There was also some footage of Anna-san dancing on the tape, causing me to drool in a metaphorical I want that tape!! kind of way. Anna-san was chasing the little boy (I think his name is Wataru-kun) around for a bit, and then she was randomly bouncing and stretching. It was so cute! Then we did exercises. After exercises, Anna-san announced that we would do Beat, but first, since she hadn�ft talked about it in a long time, she was going to explain again what Beat was. The important thing about Beat, she said, is to feel the music, and listen to all the different sounds in it. You have to feel the music, and then let out all of those things that you felt. You could pretend to be playing the instruments, or to become the singer, and envision how they felt singing, if you wanted, but the important thing is letting out everything you feel towards the imaginary audience. If you don�ft feel the music, then your ruin your artistic sensitivity, and make your body into something that doesn�ft move with the music. And if you�fre not feeling the music, and letting out all that energy, then there�fs no point in Beat at all.
So first we listened to the song, to get our own feelings and image for it. And then we did Beat to it. It was a lot of fun, although not as easy as it sounds (?). But I�fve decided to just dance my heart out, because really, if I can�ft let myself out in Hyper Class, where can I? And it�fs a lot of fun, which gives me a big smile which is really the point of the Class. My enjoyment and letting myself out paid off, because Anna-san who was dancing around, came over and danced with me (in a Battle like way) for the first time since I first started the class. It made me very happy.
After we did Beat to two different songs, Anna-san told us to get into two groups and announced that we were doing sanbyakurokujuu-do (otherwise known was 360 degrees) We split into two groups, and then Anna-san said, �eA-chan, you�fve never done this have you?�f I shook my head. She explained that the one group forms a circle, and you have to dance all around the circle, making an appeal in each direction. Because if you just face one direction, only part of the audience can see your face, etc, part can only see the side of you for example, while the audience in the back has to watch your butt the whole time. Naruhodo, said I. So we did 360, which is a lot of fun, to �eMickey�f. When I came a long to Anna-san, she said �eA-chan!�f and danced a bit with me. A few people members of the �eaudience�f did that, and it was fun. Then Namio-kun did 360, all by him self, to see, as Anna-san said, in her MC voice �ehow much he�fs powered up in the time he�fs been away!�f She is a very good audience, pumping her hands and yelling �eYeah!!�f and �eNamio, Namio!�f Then the other group did 360, and we were the audience. I have to say, it feels a lot longer as the dancer than as the audience, LOL.
Then we practiced Run DMC. Anna-san explained that the image of the song was that we were a group of friends of all ages that loved Hip-hop (Hip-hop wo aisuru nakama tachi), and got together on the streets to dance to our beloved hip-hop. Some of us may be housewives, or Ols, but when we get together, we wear hip-hop fashion (some of it a little forced, she laughed) and dance.
So we practiced the dance a few times. We couldn�ft get the ending right (it�fs a lot of leaning back and forth to the right and left all at the same time) so we had to do it a least four times. At one point one of the chuugakusei (who I think is actually a young looking koukousei) did something (tripped or something? Maybe she was watched Anna-san and fell behind?) because she and Anna-san laughed, and Anna-san said, �eYep, I was looking only at you the whole time.�f (kimi dake wo miteta�f) Everyone laughed. �eKimi dake ga abunakatta.�f (You were the only one who looked shaky.�f) It sounds a little harsh typing it, but it was all said in a joking manner, and everyone was laughing�Cand knew she just kidding around. Anna-san decided we�fd have to do it again. �eKimi dake no tame ni ne�f (just for you), she told the chuugakusei. LOL
A note on Anna-san use of �ekimi�f. I remembered this from the old old tv show from 1995 where Namie and the Monkey�fs go back to Okinawa, and among other things, stop in at Actor�fs. Anna-san teases Namie about being fashionable now, and how she used to wear sweatpants and whatnot all the time, and tells her that all the students want to be like her. �eKimi ni akogareteru rashikute�c.�f She called Namie �ekimi�f back then. This brought me to an odd moment in which I thought about how I was listening to Anna-san calling people kimi, the same Anna-san from that TV show who had called Namie �ekimi�f. In case anyone�fs wondering, BTW, remember that kimi can be used by women as well when talking to children or people who are of a position beneath them (in this case students and instructor.) I love Anna-san�fs �ekimi�f.
We also had to practice the gathering together part of the ending more because Anna-san laughing, told us we all had these really scared expressions on our faces. Anna-san kept calling the chuugakusei girls �eWakai no�f, as in �eMinna, kowai kao shiteru. Toku ni wakai no.�f Anna-san said that we should come up front more at the end, and not all hide in the background. She said the wakai no should come up front more since they were very much hiding in the back, and then said for the Kawaii and pichi-pichi girls to come up front. (cute and fresh). I said �eWakarimashita!�f (I think Tomoko-san did too, I�fm not sure). Anna-san laughed and commented �eI�fm not so sure about that aspect�c.�f (Souiu tokoro ga bimyou).
Then we all sat down and one of the women gave an idea about how we should all move up front during Takeda-san�fs (I think that�fs the guys name) solo dance, and he should call us over kind of, for the end when we all have to get together. (Anna-san, laughing: So it�fs a complaint about you. (Kimi ni taishite no monku da yo)) Then I raised my hand. Anna-san finally noticed and said �eEidorien kara no teian da!�f (A plan from Adrienne! The first time since my introduction that she�fs ever called me by my full name in front of the group, and the second ever it�fs been Katakana-ized (I guess because it was in front of the group). I said that I thought that we should get close to takeda-san while he was dancing, because all the street dance groups always make a little ring around the dancer, not a wide one. Anna-san agreed with everyone�fs comments and elaborated a bit, and then we practiced some more. After we practiced we talked a bit more, and the woman had another idea. Anna-san reminded people that now Takeda-san was calling us over,so we should come over when he called. LOL
Then she had a few announcements about practices and tickets and whatnot. Among the announcements was the fact that she�fs having a picnic with the Pop Class next month, which we are all invited to come to as well. �eWe wont really do anything, just go to Yoyogi Park and eat and have fun.�f Yay, a picnic with Anna-san!
Also, the obasan who always wears the bandana (god I need to learn people�fs names) told us she made arrangements for an after-concert party at a restaurant near the station, which was 2000 yen for a meal (pasta), and drink, etc. I think �eone drink�f often means alchoholic drink in Japan, which brings me to my closing remark for the day.
Note to self: Do not under any circumstance get drunk in Anna-san�fs presence lest you attempt to molest her and/or declare your undying love.

 
Today was the first Hyper class since I joined that I didn't dance at all. Because aside from the part in the middle when the groups performed their group dances (this time they were all here), today's lesson was a meeting (it was also extra long...2 and a half hours)
I arrived a few minutes late (like usual. SIGH) to find everyone sitting on the floor around Anna-san, with pen and papers. As I sat down, I remembered the making of the Osaka BB Live streaming video that used to be on the old BB official page, and the scenes in it of exactly that scene before me now- the members clustered around Anna-san as she explained about the concert. Anna-san was going through the run down of the concert. She told us all when to meet on the day of the concert, when we'd have our last rehearsal, when the concert would start, etc. She also went through the list of songs, both for Hyper and Pop Classes. When we'd all finished asking our questions, she said, 'Now there's one other thing I want to talk to you all about.' We all looked at her, pens poised. 'It's not anything you have to write down.' She told us, looking down at her lap. Her expression was very serious, and almost tearful,the way people look when they're about to talk about something very moving to them, or very draining. I had a premonition. She looked up at all of us, with that same expression on her face.
'It's been a year since I began Love Junk. But I think that there's a lot I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you all about. I quit Actor's so fast, and started Love Junx so fast that I didn' really get to talk to any of you about any of this. I've realized now that part of me was using things about the Hyper Class to make things easy for myself. I mean, by thinking 'Oh, they'll understand so-and-so even if I don't tell them/talk to them about it.' And I really feel about about that now. I was so worried about not pushing my own way of thinking on all of you that I stopped saying anything.
By the time I quit Actor's, Hyper Class had already stopped in Okinawa and Osaka�Cand all of a sudden the question came up whether Hyper Class would become it's own thing, or end altogether. When the instructor came to take my place, it was decided that Hyper would become it's own thing. When I gave in my resignation, I also told them that I wanted to take the Hyper Class with me. If the students in Hyper weren't against it, that is.

But at Love Junx now there is Pop Class now too, a class for people with Down Syndrome. There are so many people with Down Syndrome that want to dance, maybe even become professionals, but there are no schools that will let them in. Even if they pay extra. So there are so many people who have finally found the thing they love, but they don't have a place where they can do it with all their heart. There are many schools for little children, but...
And that's why I made the Pop Class. However, the Pop kids need me to give them a big hand, and help them along, and as unskilled and immature as I am, a lot of the time I got so absorbed in doing that, and it took up so much of me that I couldn't see anything else, and I think Hyper suffered from that, and I really regret that, and I want to apologize to all of you for that.

The impetus for starting Hyper Class at Actor's in the first place came from seeing everyone. At Actors you had a group of people of the same age all striving for the same goal, but meeting everyone else I realized, oh this is different, there's a different kind of dance that exists as well. There are so many different people, of all sexes and ages dancing for all different reasons at Hyper, and this gives it a certain atmosphere, which I really love.
When everything was going at at Actor's in Okinawa, the members of the Hyper Class were the only ones who treated me the same as always. They supported me quietly thought everything....I don't know if you all did that conciously, but... [She laughed a little] So the Hyper Class is really really important to me. No matter how small it might get, I want to continue Hyper Class for as long as is humanly possible.

At Actors, there was alot of bad things that happened, and a lot of good things, and also some things that I thought, this is wrong/ it shouldn't be this way.
Dance isn't about technique. It's about heart. I still believe that, even now. It's a very difficult thing to try to base everything on your technique. Even the members of Jyn-Rye, who seem from us to have a lot of skill, and are able to sing and dance...if it's just a question of skill, there are so many people that are more talented than they are. So they decided that at their Live, they too are going to fight with character. Namio's got his clownishness, Atsushi's cool, Yuuta's wild and Maiko....sexy? (Although they all laughed at that)

But now I'm going to starting talk with all of you, and telling you my opinion and way of thinking about things, and how you all respond to it is up to you guys. But I think that if I don't talk about all of that, it will just be me running away. So now I will give you my opinion on things, and give my suggestions, or advice.
I don't want to just tell you to do things, and have you do them. I want this to be a class that we make together. If you don' t like things, or they aren't fun, tell me and we can talk about them, and maybe change them. Even if it was say, one of the songs we're doing for the concert. If you said, for example, Run DMC is just hard work and no fun, we could change it, and do a new song, even at this point. I want us all to make this class together, and even if we fail, we'll fail and get past it together, and rebuild everything if we need to. We all are different people, and we all have different lives, and problems outside of Hyper Class, but when everyone comes together, none of that matters, just that fact that we're here to have fun, and do what we love. That's the kind of place I want Hyper to be for everyone. So if there's anything you don't like, not just about me, but about any of the members, tell me, and we'll all talk it over together, and try to resolve it in a way that we can all agree with, and with compassion. Because everyone has so many worries outside of Hyper, it would just be too much if someone had something bad happen to them in this class as well.

Lately I've noticed that during classes people get really tense, and hide in the back row. I'm sure you've all noticed it too. People aren't being themselves, or letting out all their energy. I noticed it, but I didn't say anything, and it's come to this.Everyone has their own personality, and individuality, but the way things are now, no one is letting that out. At this rate, the concert will just sort of happen, and I don't want that. So I want everyone to try to let out the best side of themselves. Even with the group dances today, I'm not looking at them to tell you what's wrong with them. I want everyone to watch them and thing together, if there is anything that could make them better, or what is really well done about them...
And if I keep going on, we'll never get anything done, so...this is it for today...
Then we watched all the group performances.
Afterwards, we all got into a circle again. Anna-san went around and gave each group a specific compliment on their dance, and sometimes a slight criticism as well. She said that if everyone could get to the point where they were really confident and forward with their dance, it was all be really great.Then Anna-san asked us if we had any opinions on anything. She told us to tell her, whaever if was, and she would listen to all our opinions with an open mind, and an open heart. One of the members said that she thought that we had lessons and then they were over, and there wasn't really a chance to get to know people, so she wished we could make some time for communication. Anna-san said 'Wakarimashita!' (Got it!)Another member said that she wished we could have group rehearsals with the Pop Class, and also group lessons, so we would get closer to them. Anna-san brought out the schedule for this month and told us when the Pop Class was having rehearsal. She also said that she was making up the June schedule now, so she'd add group classes. Then the meeting was over, and we all bowed, and said Otsukaresama.

I definately feel like a new Era is beginning for Love Junx. Just like Anna-san says she was afraid to tell her own opinion and thoughts on things, I think that maybe we weren't sure if we could give our opinions. But Anna-san seems very happy to have our opinions. I think maybe this is one of the points that she assumed we'd understand? I don't know. But I think that it makes her really happy for people to be able to say how they feel to her. Especially after what allegedly happened at Actor's....

I feel kind of bad, putting this after all of Anna-san's speech, especially because listening to her talk, and really hearing all her feelings, and watching her serious, open, honest face as she talked just made me love her even more, and respect her even more, but here is Anna-san's post-lesson fashion for the day. Today her hair was very straight, and whispy, like she'd just showered before class. It made her look very natural and guileless. She wore black underwear and a black bra, and I've noticed that she changes her bra after class, although I'm not sure why, because it doesnt seem like she wear sports bras for class. She wore a black tank-top which said 'Angel Baby', and khaki pants with a wide belt. She also wore a khaki hat. Once again I noticed how slim she is, and what a nice figure she has.
On the bus people were talking about their heights, and Anna-san said that she is 155.5 cm, which is 5'1". No wonder I thought she was short. She is. LOL (As she said, 'The .5 is very important!')
Then they talked about where everyone was from, and Anna-san said she was from Kansai/Kantou, because her father is from Kyoto and her mother is from Tokyo. The other women said that she seemed Kansai-like, because she liked to play around and have fun, and that her cool-ness was Kantou like. (Anna-san, laughing: Don't flatter me too much or I'll get a big head....) Then we talked abouyt Kikokujoshi (Japanese raised abroad who them come back to Japan), and ryugakusei, and what not.

A note about Anna-san's dialogue. As you can tell, she talked for a long time. I'm sure I forgot a few things, and I'm pretty sure that a lot of this isn't in the right order, but I wrote down everything I could remember. Also, I put it in italics to make it easy to tell that it's all her talking.