A circle of friends connected by goo-touch! The radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features “FIST BUMP” in which people who live and enjoy Tokyo appear in a relay format. On April 12, Ms. KUMI was introduced by Ms. Tsuki Takamura. She is one of the best pole dancers in Japan, known for her beautiful and supple pole style and delicate and dynamic expression. In recent years, she has also been active as a posing advisor, choreographer, and show director, We asked her about how she gave up acting to become a pole dancer, and about the appeal of pole dancing, which is more than just dancing.
INDEX
From a setback as an actor to becoming a pole dancer
Takano (MC): KUMI, Mr. Takamura called you a “wonderful goddess.
KUMI:I’m sorry (haha).
TAKANO: I heard that you used to be an actor.
KUMI: That’s right. I am from Kyoto, but for a while after I moved to Tokyo, I was trying my best to become a stage actress. What made me start pole dancing was, to put it very simply, frustration. I got injured, and in terms of human relations, a theater company requires a lot of group behavior, and I didn’t understand what was normal and what was expected of me. When I was younger, I had various thoughts that I might not have enough human training to become an actor today. I quit the theater company because of an injury and was on the road to what I was going to do tomorrow when I came across ball dancing.
TAKANO: What was your encounter with pole dancers like?
KUMI: At that time, I was dancing as a dancer at a show club in the suburbs. There was a pole there, and at first I was very self-taught, but then I met someone who was like a master, and I started pole dancing in earnest.
TAKANO: After that, you won the second prize in “MISS POLE DANCE JAPAN 2008”?
KUMI: So this is the first time. Nowadays, there are competitions not only in Japan but also all over the world.
TAKANO: Has your impression of pole dancing changed since then?
KUMI: When I started pole dancing, I had the image of a woman dancing glamorously, as if I had only seen it in movies. Nowadays, however, some pole dancers are doing it as a sport, as a fitness activity with a clean image, some are pursuing more feminine or sensual expression, and some are doing it as an art form, like Cirque du Soleil. I think we are now able to freely do what we want in whatever style we want.
TAKANO: My friends are also learning it casually as a hobby, so I think it is becoming more and more popular.
KUMI: I really think so. There are a lot of kids learning it now.
TAKANO: Can I do it too?
KUMI: Of course you can.
TAKANO: It’s good for working out, dieting, and health.
KUMI: I would recommend it to all.
TAKANO: Do you have poles at your home?
KUMI: No, I don’t. I practice in my studio.Surprisingly, I’ve heard that some people can’t practice at home and it’s a place to hang things (haha).
TAKANO: I see (haha). It is interesting. It is a world where you can perform various movements and expressions with only one pole and one body. I was interested to hear that you are not only a dancer, but also a posing advisor and a choreographer.
KUMI: That’s right. I have loved gravure since I was a child. I was very interested in beautiful movements and poses of people, not only women. I didn’t make it my career to become a pole dancer, but I started to work on various jobs such as commercials and music videos while I was pole dancing. I was asked by directors and various people for advice on how to make sexy moves, for example. At first, it was a lingerie commercial, and I was asked for advice not only on how to pose in an exposed pose, but also on how to twist my hips to look beautiful, where to put my hands for the best angle, how to make it look graceful, how to make it look sensual, and so on. Takano: I would give them advice on how to make them look sensual.
TAKANO: I would love to listen to your voice and the way you talk, but it’s time to introduce the songs, and I would like to ask you to listen to KUMI’s song selections.
KUMI: I would like to introduce “HEART” by Tokyo Gegegay.
Encounter with my best friend and lifesaver, Tokyo Gegegay MIKEY
TAKANO: What is your relationship with Tokyo Gegegay?
KUMI: MIKEY of Tokyo Gegegegay is my best friend and a lifesaver. It was a great encounter, and after I met MIKEY, he made me realize that I could really do what I wanted to do, and he liberated me.
TAKANO: I hope you are listening to me, MIKEY. I’ve been wanting to listen to your voice for a long time, but it’s time to go. “FIST BUMP” is a circle of friends connected by “Goo Touch,” and we are asking you to introduce us to your friends.What kind of person would you like to introduce to us?
KUMI: This is Mumuko, a photographer and artist.
TAKANO: What kind of person is Mumuko?
KUMI: In a word, Mumuko is a “shaman of Reiwa”. She has the power to see through her subjects and purify them as she photographs them.
TAKANO: She is a photographer with great power. Thank you very much. Tomorrow, we will be joined by photographer/artist Yumemuko, the “Shaman of Reiwa. Thank you very much.
KUMI: Thank you very much.
GRAND MARQUEE
J-WAVE (81.3FM) Mon-Thu 16:00 – 18:50
Navigator: Shinya Takano, Celeina Ann
