Dance
This is how MAiKA finds freedom through dance
For MAiKA, dance is a spiritual experience. She wants the music and emotion to resonate within her body and with the audience. Find out what she will bring to Red Bull Dance Your Style in Paris.
The beach, the mountains, the countryside, and now – the dance floor. Freedom can come in different ways and can be inspired by so many different settings. MAiKA’s hip-hop style shows a level of freedom that could have only be achieved by doing what she loves most – expressing herself using her body and the beat. Her style and desire to dance were never planned. It wasn’t the result of a pushy parent or what the 'cool kids' were doing at the time. As she describes it, it was “naturally born. It wasn’t planned but I felt comfortable releasing my emotion through dance.”
Many dancers find their freedom through movement, but for MAiKA, it’s taken her further than many would imagine, simply by her drive and willingness to follow her passions. An active child who was always moving and dancing, Japanese group Morning Musume inspired her to take control of her career and take dancing and performing much more seriously. MAiKA had no other choice – she knew that she would dance for the rest of her life and had no Plan B. When asked if there was something else, some other profession or passion she would pursue, she gave a quick, definitive answer: “No, I have never thought of this. I could only image myself dancing as my lifestyle.”
When you hear MAiKA talk about dancing, it is evident why she couldn't imagine doing anything else but dancing. Not only has dance helped her experience freedom, it’s become a spiritual experience for her that comes as natural as breathing to her and has helped her learn more about the world around her and her Japanese heritage and culture.
“Dance is a spiritual experience for me but at the same time not because I am always hungry towards dancing. Dancing by myself could make me feel free and dancing with other dancers always gives me inspiration. I learned how to be emotional and powerful which created my dance style. It comes naturally when I dance. I try not to be over ready. I have also been able to learn about hierarchical relationships, which is important in the dance scene in Japan.”
Maika and Kyoka are Rushball
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
While learning about the world, MAiKA has gotten to travel the world, not only participating in, but winning several titles at those competitions. In the past few years MAiKA claimed titles at World Dance Colosseum (2011 Winner, 2012 Winner, 2019 Winner), CASIO Dancer Contract, Juste Debout Hip-Hop (2012 second Place, 2016 Winner). It’s probably a lot easier to continue being uplifted and feeling that freedom MAiKA feels when dancing when you're winning consistently and travelling the world, but she has some encouragement for those who have yet to get to the point of success she is: “Take your time to rethink yourself and dance. If you take time and give all your passion to that, you'll able to find your own style that will represent you.”
Maika battles Leo during Dance Your Style Japan 2018
© Jason Halayko/Red Bull Content Pool
For MAiKA, that style involves a lot of full-out movements, not just popping and locking or breaking that we see in a lot of battles. It’s clear to the audience that MAiKA is really taking her time to feel the music and respond to it. She gets close to her competitors and engages them in the battles, not just concerned about winning, but more about letting the music touch her and resonate through her. Many times, you can catch her smiling as she battles, showing that these are not just opportunities for her to win, but they are opportunities to do what she loves most – dance her style and have fun with the new things she finds her body can do. Usually dressed in a simple ball cap, sweats and a T-shirt, she enters the dance floor less ready to attack, more ready to party as she goes head to head with whomever she battles. As she said before, she doesn't like to start battles “over-ready.” That's clear because, seeing as she can’t possibly know what the DJ will spin next, her body has to be ready to respond to whatever is thrown at her.
MAiKA brings to life what it means to dance your style – there's no right or wrong way, there's no particular music she has to have to be able to dance and she realises that dance is more about enjoyment than winning anything or proving anything to anyone.