Concentration 20

Today I took Caroline with me to Hyper.It was a lot of fun to make the long trip with someone, and although she said she was nervous, I also had butterflies in my stomach. Because I was going to introduce someone to Hyper and everything, and it felt in a way like another beginning.
We ate a little Pseudo-European style cafe with all Japanese food (the Macha pudding was a dream!) and then we headed over to the Rapport. On the where there we found a hedge - not a bush, an actual large hedge - of Gardenia. Gardenia. One of my absolute favorite flowers, with their gorgeous fancy creamy white blossoms. The smell is so amazing. It made me really happy to learnt that they have Gardenia in Japan, and near to the Rapport no less. For a moment I wanted to pick one and give it to Anna-san. But really Gardenia don't suit her. They're too fancy, to rich and luxurious, to pretentious. She needs bright, cheerful, strong flowers, like daffadils.
Anyway, so we got into the Rapport, which Caroline was impressed with, and put our stuff in the locker room, amid choruses of Kakkoii!!! from the chuugakusei as we talked in English.
When we got to the lesson room, the Pop class was still going on. We could see Yuuta, wearing his white towel around his head, and Anna-san, in a huge (and I mean impressively voluminous) Love Junx shirt, jumping and dancing up a storm with the Pop kids. While we waited, I said my Ohayou Gozaimasus and Ohisashiburis to everyone, and learned that several new people had joined since I had come last time, including a friend of Tomoko-san's.
I escorted Caroline into the lesson room, and when Anna-san was alone at the MD player, I took her over, and introduced her to Anna-san in Japanese, as Caroline had requested. Anna-san gave her a big smile, and greeted her in Japanese, asking (also in Japanese) if she could speak it. Caroline said she could alittle, and Anna-san smiled enthusiastically and told her she would introduce her. (this set the tone for the whole class. I think it was maybe because there were so many new people, or because Caroline was obviously trying so hard to speak Japanese, but we didn't get to hear even one sentence of Anna-san's perfect native English the whole time, which was too bad) Then we were all called over into a big circle. First Anna-san had all the new members introduce themselves (there were about 4 or 5 new members, all girls this time. After Caroline introduced herself, Anna-san asked if she had a nickname, and Caroline gave her Keri, the name the volleyball club calls her. So she became Keri), and then that she would introduce the instructors. She gave a big smile. 'Anna desu!' Then she indicated Namio, who said, in his English, 'My name is Namio Kimura.' We all looked at him, because his last name is not Kimura, it's...well, I forget what it is, but not Kimura. Which Anna-san pointed out, as people wondered if he had changed his name. I couldn't resist the oppourtunity, and asked, 'Kekkon shita no??' 'Wow, you got married?' Everyone cracked up, and Anna-san said 'Nice tsukkomi!!'. (nice one!) Then Atsushi and Yuuta introduced themselves. Then we did excercises. Anna-san told Caroline just to follow along. I was impressed today, during the 'wave', body roll part, because Anna-san, Yuuta and Atushi were all rolling in synch.
Then we did Beat, before which Anna-san gave an introduction. She explained that dance isn't something you think about with your head, it's something you feel with your heart. You don't need to think about looking cool or anything, just let go of all your embaressment and whatnot, and just feel the music. And if you don't feel anything, they you don't have to dance. The point is to feel the music, and let out everything that's in your heart.
Also, she said sternly, the thing she wanted us all to stay clear of was getting stuck in one pattern for our dancing. Always move forward, progress! (Tsune ni mae he, mae he!)
During her speech, Namio, stood behind her and made gestures to match the speech, presumebly for Caroline's benefit. He pointed to his head for 'think', made a heart shape for 'heart', and made an X sign for 'don't'. We all laughed, and Anna-san realized what he was doing. She shook her head at him, laughing and said, 'Get in front of me where I can see you.' He did, but kept gesturing. 'Sit down in front of me' She told him. He did. 'Facing me.' He did, but made face in the mirror. Finally she made him stand behind her, and stood in front of him. It was really funny.
Then we did Beat to Mickey, and Lady Marmalade. Anna-san was all cute and rock-like during L.M. Caroline said afterwards that L.M was one of her favorites songs ever, so that was cool. Then we had a little break. Then when we got back in, Anna-san told us all to sit together, backs to the mirror. She asked, 'You know what comes now right?' I didn't, and didn't catch the first part of the explaination, but one of the chuugakusei explained that we would get to see Atsushi and Yuuta dance. Anna-san said that watching and being watched was also part of learning, and that we would get up in groups and dance for everyone. However, she said, people that really really didn't want to didn't have to. She asked people who didn't want to to raise their hands. Only one person, Emi did. Anna-san didn't seem suprised.
So we went in groups, dancing for everyone. Whenever Anna-san picked people to go up she would point at them and give a Shoosh! sound. It was cute. I went with the OLs. Afterwards, Anna-san said 'I don't know whether the teamwork (or lack of it?) was good or bad, but...' and laughed. When she called the Ladies members up, she bowed to them saying 'Oneesan, onegaishimasu'. When she called the Madam's members up, she said 'Okasan! Kaa-san!' And launched into that old 'Ka-san, Kasan!' comedian impression. The song that happened to come on for the Madams was the song they had done their group dance to. Everyone laughed. They pulled Namio, and then Uchida-san and Otagawa-kun and Yosshi out to day with them. It was great. We all laughed. When the men went up, Anna-san said 'Wow, we have three men now, that makes me so happy!' I had just been maveling myself that we now had three whole men. LOL
Then the Boyz of Zin Rye danced for us. they were absolutely amazing. they danced together at first, and then took turns doing solo dances. They did back flips and jumped up from the ground no hands and spun on one hand and flipped over eachother.... And the best part, Yuuta and Atsushi had a wholw long group dance part, where they held hands and flipped off each other, etc. They had this new move where Atushi got on top of Yuuta's back, on his back. He had some trouble balancing and almost had to do it again, but they smiled at each other and grinned, and as he started to slip, their faced got really close and it looked like they would kiss. It was absolutelt dripping with slashiness. It was beautiful. And Caroline agreed with me. (we spent a good 15 minutes after class squealing over the absolute shonen-ai-ness of them).
Then we did group battle. I battle with Momo-chan, which was interesting, because I'd never battled with a little kid before, and made sure to crouch down to her height etc. Caroline battled too, and she was pretty good!
After Battle, we did the cool down exercises. There was a big Hyper photo blown up on a large piece of paper, and Kurata-san told me to write something on it. I wasn't sure what to write. She said I could write anything, like 'A-chan desu!', or 'Date me!'. I almost asked if she meant that comment directed towards Anna-san, but I didn't. I wrote 'Haipa- saikou! Hyper Rocks!' LOL
As we walked to the locker room, we saw Anna-san sitting on the floor changing her shoes. Caroline said 'Arigatou Gozaimashita', and Anna-san looked up and gave her a bright smile, saying 'Mata asobi ni kite kudasai ne!' (Come again any time!)

In the locker room, I changed and Caroline checked her e-mail, while everyone kawaii'd my skirt. Anna-san came in at some point, because I looked up to see her back, as she was changing her flesh colored bra to a black one. I know I talk about it every time, but it struck me again today how absolutely beautiful her back is. Or should I say, her figure from the back. It's such a perfect hourglass figure, a smooth expanse of back, tapering into a tiny waist, and out again into lovely slim hips, that are actually hips. She's so gorgeous. One of the chuugakusei showed her somehting in a magazine, while she was changing into her pants, which was amazing to me. I could never show Anna-san anything while she was in her underwear. LOL
Today she wore loose hiphugger wind pants and a tight black mesh-ish tank top. She looked very cool.

Then Caroline and I walked back to the station together, talking about it all. First we cooed about Atushi and Yuuta. (we have both decided that Atsushi is the Uke and Yuuta is the Seme) She said that they were totally together. Then we talked about Anna-san,who Caroline said was so nice and warmhearted, and had such an amazing voice, which make you feel how much she was leading things, like an announcers voice or something, and such a great smile, the kind where you don't care about your face crinkling up. She said that she had had a great time, and hadn't been embaressed or felt pressured at all, and had had so much fun. She is thinking baou joining, but is a bit reluctant, because she doesn't know how much time she could spare for it. I told her that Hyper is the kind of class where you can just go whenever you want, no pressure, even if it's only once or twice a month. It's the kind of class where if you feel tired, or depressed, or just want to dance, you can just show up and have fun. that's the point of it. For everyone to have fun.

Speaking of which, it was really fun to bring Caroline and show her everything and everyone. And also explaining things to someone else, plus the fact that so many new people have joined made me realize, I'm not the new member anymore! I am an older, established member! What with this feeling, and having come for the first time in almost a month, I felt so comfortable there, like Hyper class was where I belonged.