Koharu Sugawara, I love you.

 Its 12am right now and oh oh oh I know I should be studying, but how can I, when I cam still so psyched up after taking the most AMAZING dance class from Koharu Sugawara herself?! I can't believe she's a year younger than me. God, what the hell have I been doing with my life, other than developing EDNOS?

So Koharu, along with Tony Czar and Leroy Curwood are in town for the Swaggout 3 performance and workshops from the 15th to 18th November and naturally when I saw Tony and Koharu's name on the poster my heart must have stopped beating because these 2 choreographers are super brilliant and amazingly talented dancers I have ever seen on YouTube. Tony Czar teaches in Debbie Reynolds in L.A as well, though I didn't take his class when I was in L.A because his stye, however dope it is, doesn't suit my interest. 

So I just HAD to take Koharu's, or as she calls herself Koko, class and hoo boy was it a blast. 

I had to go all the way to LaSelle college of the Arts, because the studios at O School aren't big enough. LaSelle's dance studios are twice that of O School, and Debbie Reynolds, is probably 3 times bigger. Debbie Reynolds can fit about 100 dancers in I swear. Leroy Curwood was teaching a class before Koko and we could all see through the windows what an amazing dancer he is as well. His style leans toward lyrical hiphop. Lots of body isolations and waves, and very smooth and sexy. So hot. And he's pretty good looking too. 

But anyway, all the dancers started clapping and cheering when Koko finally entered the dance studio and it is incredibly surreal to see her in the flesh! She's more gorgeous than in her photos, and I heard that she's half Swedish, which would explain how beautiful she looks. Koharu is an incredibly bubbly person. She's always smiling and laughing and clapping her hands and making wild gestures to try to explain what she's saying because her English isn't the best. Her Japanese accent is SO adorable. She bounces around with such exuberance and her personality so infectious. Its pretty much like having Lynette C, but 10 times more infectious and charming. I noticed that she kept saying "ok" a lot, and emphasizing it with either the two thumbs up sign or the ok sign, which come to think of it, is pretty cute. 

I have to admit, I was rather afraid that I would't be able to catch the routine, because:

(a) I have not been dancing proper in 6 months, unless you count the times I spend "dancing" in my bedroom, and 

(b) I'm not as good as the other dancers in the room, who have been dancing far longer than I have. 

But I pretty much surprised myself when I actually managed to keep up, and okay I wasn't the smoothest and the best, but I managed to keep up with the routine, which is incredibly fast by the way! And the steps aren't always according to the tempo/beat.  But thank goodness Koko kept going through it over and over again. 

But no one in the room could do it better than Koko and her kids herself. Her kids are these 3 authentic Japanese boys (children, by the way, who cannot be no more than 12). And they executed the steps beautifully. I mean I have NEVER seen anyone move so sharp and smoothly as they did. I was demoralized.  I was inspired and in awe. And she looked SO incredibly shy after we all started whooping and cheering each time she performed the steps for us. She's such an incredible teacher as well, and manages to use very quirky ways to demonstrate the steps, given the language barrier. Such as making noises, and emphasizing certain body movements and getting us to use imaginations. 

I simply had the best time during the 1 hour 15 minute class. I would so LOVE to take her last class again tomorrow, but its too far and I need to catch up on revision. Nevertheless, I'm so pleased to have been able to take her class. She collaborated with Kyle Hanagami too! 

And I'm so psyched to have been able to take both Kyle and Koko's class within the same year! Tee hee.