Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2010

Photos by Yuri Hasegawa

Although she’s barely out of her teens, Asako Hara has already performed with such high-profile artists as UK singer Cheryl Cole, Canadian R&B star Justin Bieber and rapper Snoop Dogg. Which should really come as no surprise: a growing number of Japanese are making an impact within the street-dance community in America.

“I was very shy growing up, but I enjoyed singing and dancing,” says Hara, who moved from Nagoya to Los Angeles three years ago at the age of 18. “I was taking gymnastic classes, and my mom enrolled me into a dance class when I was 7. I fell in love with it immediately. I practiced every day and learned every dance style, and had great teachers who helped me along the way.”

When she was 10, Hara and two fellow dancers entered the All Japan Dance Contest. “I remember shaking like a leaf because the other dancers were much older. We came third against some seriously tough competition. I decided from that moment that I wanted to be a professional dancer.”

The turning point for Hara came at the Aichi Expo in 2006, when she danced for jazz legend Sadao Watanabe. “It was a unique experience because I had to dance onstage and combine my routine with sign language,” she recalls. “After that, I wanted to be up there with the best, so for me that meant moving to Los Angeles. My parents encouraged me to pursue my dream. Since we’d been visiting the US regularly for family vacations, they knew I was comfortable with the cultural differences. My career has even inspired my mother; she now takes dance classes in Nagoya.”

Street dance, which has its roots in hip-hop culture, was born among African-American and Latino communities, with crews “battling” to see who has the better moves. “To me, the beauty of street dance is that it’s usually freestyle in nature, which allows for you to bring your own individuality and creativity to what you do,” Hara says. “My dance style is called ‘LA style and jazz funk,’ which is a mixture of new styles and old-school dance from the ’70s.”

Hara says she thrives on the competition in LA. “You can never rest on your laurels; you have to keep learning new moves and attending classes so you can stay on top. When you go to auditions for a TV show, movie or a well-known artist, over 500 dancers will show up, hoping to be hired. So you have a lot of pressure, which can make it harder to give 100 percent. I’m still nervous at auditions. As soon as the casting directors/choreographers call my name, I get butterflies in my stomach.”

Hara will make her movie debut later this year in Boogie Town, described as “West Side Story for the hip-hop generation.” “It’s set in the future, and we all wear unusual makeup and colored contact lenses. I wear sexy motorbike gear and play the member of a dance crew. I had to dance in a robotic style, echoing the futuristic theme of the movie. I can’t wait to see the film. It’ll be weird to see myself up on the big screen.”

Hara’s days consist of a lot of dancing… and then more dancing. “When I have dance events in LA or music video shoots or tours, I’ll usually have rehearsals for three hours or more each day,” she says. “Besides that, I take several different dance classes to build up my repertoire…. Later in the day, I go to the gym and run on the treadmill for an hour and then take a yoga class.”

Looking ahead, Hara says she would like to move into choreographing music videos, shows and tours. “I’d also like to teach in Japan. There are so many incredible dancers, and I’d like to share my knowledge and experience with them so that they can fly the flag and show the world how much amazing dance talent we have.”

But Hara has been so busy that she hasn’t been back home for two years.

“You know what I miss? The TV shows, music and convenience stores. I wish we had the same conbini in LA.”

Chris Betros is the editor of Japan Today (www.japantoday.com).