Sotsugyo Kouen

I DID IT!! :D

Valentine's Day, Saturday, was the big day. 卒業公演 sotsugyou kouen. "Graduation public performance". The final performance with all the third years at our high school before they graduate. Francesco and I joined in performing Japanese dance, aerobics and a fast hip hop dance called "Matsuri", which was nerve wrecking and a lot of fun! And I made it!! XD

When I started the dancing lessons at this school here, I thought it would be hard - except for Japanese dance, with the first years, we always trained with our class. Meaning they had been training dance for a minimum of two years. "Well," I thought, "It'll be OK as long as I try, right?" I didn't know they'd be expecting me to perform those dances with everybody else in front of the whole school!

Seno and Wada posing!

Well, what can I say... from the moment I knew that we'd be performing this, and that Francesco would be coming to train once a week, I decided that I'd do my best and train too. So every Tuesday I'd show up at the dance club. Mai, Tsuru, Wada... basically everyone in our class did an amazing job teaching us the dances! (Mai basically taught me the entire aerobic one afternoon with the dancing club.) Matsuri was the one I had the most trouble with, and also the one I was most nervous about. (My mom knows all about this, haha!) There were lots of "no, wrong, do it again" and "yes, you did it! High five!" - so it was actually a lot of fun training for it! I got to know people in my class better as well, and it was fun working and making something together.

Tsuru and me. I'm wearing a yukata, and Tsuru a kimono.

Posing in the changing room!

Before the 14th, we'd been practicing for a week at Ijuin bunkakan, the place where we'd be holding the performance. Once the day finally arrived, we were all pretty stressed and excited. Our Japanese dance involved throwing and catching our fans - the catching part was what had us all worried. All the first years were stressing about it, while our teacher kept saying "it's going to be fine, so don't worry!". I wub my Japanese dance teachers. <3>

The Japanese dancing teachers and us!

Us and all the third years

We had two performances, one during the day and one in the evening. Before each one we'd all gather in a big room and the third year boy that Francesco and I have simply dubbed "Cool Guy" held a small speech, saying "since this is the last time for us third years, let's all do our best!" "Ei, ei, oo!" to which we'd all shout back "EI, EI, OO!". At the evening performance he called Hamasaki, a boy from our class, over and they did it together. It was great to lift the spirits and get us all "fit for fight". Also, right before going on stage, we all gathered in a big circle, put our arms around each other's shoulders, stuck out our right foot (since we couldn't raise our fists) and whispered "ei, ei, oo!". Great! XD I think it worked - I didn't drop my fan either time! What I did do, however, was slip in the middle of the aerobic during the day! We were supposed to do a turn, and my shoes (that I'd never worn on a rehearsal - lesson learnt, mom...) slipped. So while everyone else were turning and doing the next step, I was staggering sideways in the middle of the stage waving my arms, trying desperately not to fall. I managed to stay on my feet and jumped in a few steps later. "The show must go on", right? XD Dazey said he didn't see it, so maybe it wasn't that noticeable. A shame, really - I bet it would have been really funny to see! I know I laughed. :P Matsuri went pretty well - a few misses, but considerably better than any practice session I ever did. ^^

In the pause we were interviewed for a live radio show by a guy that called himself "Smiley". It was really fun being interviewed with all our Japanese classmates, and my second time on Japanese radio. I got a little stuffed bear - the radio's mascot - as a keepsake when it was over. He's wearing a seat belt and "does not allow drunk driving". I love my bear! XD

Reading manga in a kimono - true Japanese culture! XD

Random pictures, go!!

The evening performances went very well! I didn't slip this time, and except for a step that I did a little early, I managed Matsuri too! Yay~! At the end, we're all doing what looks like a karate punch and scream "HA!" before the stage goes dark. My definite favourite move! Okaasan commented it too: "I figured! I saw it and thought "Oh, I bet Helen likes that one!"" She knows me well! ;)

Receiving the applause afterwards was great! Once we all got out on stage and bowed... it was wonderful. I was so happy and relieved that I'd done it, that I'd made it after months of work. Whoo~! At the same time it was kind of sad that it was over, and all the third years were now finished. (The only time they'll be back is for the official ceremony.) Once the curtain had gone down people started crying. Heck, it even made me tear up! I could relate to it too - all my friends back in Norway will be graduating this year, too. And I know the feeling. But I'm super happy I get to do this! :)

Hamasaki and Francesco

Great random memories:

- Singing Avril Lavigne's "Why" and "Sk8r boi" backstage with Shun playing the guitar - wearing hakama! XD

- Tsuru being coached by Francesco on how to be a gaijin from a Spanish speaking country, followed by some pricelessly funny Tsuru moments of immitating and acting.

- Cool guy was fixing his hair in front of the mirror, so I walked up and fixed the hair on his dancing prop. Spontanious jokes relieves stress. ^^

- Taking random photos with everyone

- The dance teacher eagerly explaining to me how much Wada resembles a kangaroo and Hirase looks like the character Ganguro tamago-chan. "Right?! Right?! She does!!"

Me and the singing teacher

Cool guy, first year boy and a girl from our class

Hamasaki playing "Hama-chan". XP

Location: Japan
Mood: Tired
Watching: Dexter! :D