The "A BETTER FUTURE TOGETHER Dance Project" takes place at the basketball court at the Ikenoue Youth Exchange Center "Ikesei." Ikesei was a joint development by the Rakuten Group and Setagaya Ward, which is where the company's headquarters is located. We have covered this project’s audition and rehearsal scenes, but today we cover the climax: the actual performance. What was the meaning of "the value of sports" and "challenge yourself," which were things director Reiko wanted to convey through this project? We captured the ABFT Dance Crew fulfilling their dreams together with their friends on the big day.

The university basketball world championship tournament “World University Basketball Series (WUBS) 2023 presented by Sun Chlorella” was held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium Second Hall. In this venue that drew elite athletes, spectators, and organizers from home and around the world, twelve members dressed in matching costumes left their marks. Only two months had passed since the dance audition, and no doubt they had countless moments of nerves and anxiety along the way. Yet their expressions were bright and full of vitality. “Just enjoy it”―suddenly, Reiko’s teachings from rehearsals came to their minds. All they had was three minutes during halftime, but their hard work to fulfill their dreams resulted in smiles of confidence. The crowd, captivated by the performance, broke into applause, as smiles spread across the audience. Performing high-energy routines rooted in hip-hop and jazz, the twelve dancers made sure to connect with the crowd, waving to fans even in the farthest seats of the arena. “A performance infused with feeling would energize viewers and also yourself,” says Reiko.

“Life goes on if you don’t do sports, or if you don’t even watch it. But sports has the power to move people, to make them smile, and it even brings them happiness. I think that’s the meaning of sports. We as dancers want to make the future brighter and more energetic through dance. And I want to pass that on to the next generation.”

A bright future that sports can create. Reiko continued, “I was able to convey that to the ABFT Dance Crew through this project.”

“I love dance, but what has moved my heart even more strongly than that―and what has brought me to where I am today―is dancing as a team and overcoming tough times together. So I wanted the ABFT Dance Crew to not just dance, but to find value in being able to perform together with everyone’s heart in it. And I think the girls got that message. I hope the girls who took part in this project, and also anyone who is heading toward the path they want to take, will not be afraid to ‘challenge themselves’ and keep moving. By challenging yourself, you can learn where you are now and how much farther you have to go to reach your goal. Even if things don’t turn out as hoped, there is always meaning in having challenged yourself.”

By being constantly involved from the audition to the performance, Reiko was able to pass on her own dance experience to the next generation while also gaining insight from the diverse ABFT Dance Crew.

“It was tremendously intriguing to get to know each dancer and learn about the difference in their backgrounds and motivation. I hope I get the chance to do something like this more often, so that I can interact with more dancers. It would be nice to do projects where the audience can cheer the performers on while they’re on stage, so that we can bring dreams and energy to more people.”

As long as there are people who challenge themselves for their dreams, there will be a bright future for sports.

TEXT: Keisuke Honda
PHOTO: Masato Ura