01x04 - Choreography Routine

[bunniefuu]

[Kabo] With the June contest approaching,

the Ichirin High School Dance Club

has begun serious practice.

After thoroughly going through

the usual basic routine…

[straining]

[Kabo] …now it's time

to perfect the choreography.

Wait, how did the next part go?

What do I do with my legs here?

["Kujira" playing]

Yura, have you already memorized it?

That was fast!

[scoffs]

[Yura] Out of all the first years,

I pick up the choreography the fastest

and my performance is the most polished.

[music stops]

[Yura] I should be able

to dance better than anyone. So why…

-Stop.

-[both] Hmm?

Wanda, at this bit,

keep your fingers together,

and at the same level as your face.

Huh?

Wow, thanks, Yura!

All right, you guys!

Ready to do a run-through?

-Yep!

-Yep!

We'll come in from eight.

Five, six, uh, uh…

[music resumes]

-Hmm? [gasps]

-[babbling] Chaka-chaka-chaka.

[Yura] She keeps mumbling…

-[Kabo grunts, gasps]

-[third year] You got this, Kabo!

[Yura] There's hardly any time left

until the contest takes place.

Is this lot really going to be ready?

WANDANCE

[third year] Good job.

[dancer] We did it, we did it.

-My knees started shaking halfway through.

-[dancer] Yeah, it looked seriously funny.

[On] By the way, Kabo,

feel free to call me On.

What?

Everyone calls me that.

[Kabo] P-President On.

[On] No! "President" sounds so ugly.

[Kabo] O-On…

[On] Yep, just that.

-[On] Good job today, Kabo.

-[Kabo gasps]

Y-Y-You too.

Huh, sounds like something important…

[On] So, what's up?

I just want to know why I got dropped

from the selected members?

[On sighs, inhales sharply]

First of all,

I want you to know that I recognize

that you are working very hard.

You watch the choreography

more intently than anyone,

and I really like how disciplined you are.

I really hope you understand,

but this time there's a limit

on the number of members.

Only three first years were chosen,

so please don't be too upset about it.

But we've performed the dance

with the same choreography

several times in the past,

and we can use it

at the school festival too.

It's not about that.

I'd like to know the selection criteria.

The criteria you used

to choose the members.

[sad music playing]

My dancing is more precise

than the others.

And I think I match your form

better than anyone else.

The other members are all over the place,

and I'm worried we won't be able

to beat the dance clubs

from other schools.

[On] Hmm…

This time, the members were decided

after a discussion between me,

Vice President Shiki,

our adviser Ms. Ishida,

and all of the third years.

[gasps]

They all decided together?

Then…

I can totally feel that you're trying

to match my form,

and I'm really happy about it, but…

Isn't it a bit intense

to try and do every little movement

in sync with everyone else?

I want you to see the dance as a whole,

not just the individual parts.

[Yura] I had a feeling…

People say I move well,

or that I'm precise…

but no one has ever said

I'm good at dancing.

I think my version of good dancing

is different to other people's.

But the one thing I know for sure

is that On is a good dancer.

[grunts, whimpers softly]

What should I do…

Hmm… Good question.

To start with,

find a dancer you like,

someone you think dances well,

and then try paying attention to that

person's rhythm and pacing. [chuckles]

[gasps, grunts]

["Kujira" playing on speakers]

[Kabo] If you learn it with the music,

the movements will come naturally.

The choreography that

the club president makes

is fairly simple in terms of movement,

but if you listen closely,

it fits perfectly with the subtle sounds.

Anyway, right now,

I just want to memorize it.

I want to master it.

[babbling]

[Kabo] She's murmuring to herself.

[panting]

[music fades]

[On claps] Let's take a five-minute break.

Drink some water!

[dancer 1] Yeah, I think

I'm getting more muscly, actually.

[dancer 2] Right?

Strength training is hard, so…

["Kujira" playing]

[Yura] A dancer I like…

[grunts]

[grunts]

[sighs]

Now that I think about it,

I guess I always end up

watching her dancing.

[door opens]

[gasps, grunts]

[Yura gasps, grunts]

Hey, Kabo.

Y-Yeah?

You're good friends with Wanda, right?

Does Wanda do any special kind of

training or anything?

S-S-Special…

Uh, w-w-when she practices,

Wanda mumbles to herself a lot while

she's g-going through the choreography.

Huh?

Oh. Yeah, she was mumbling.

But still, how does that…

I mean, I-I didn't actually notice

this at first either…

B-B-But there's this tiny,

intricate sound that plays

in the background of this song.

I-I-I guess she listens to that sound,

and murmurs along with it

-to ch-check her rhythm and pacing.

-[Yura gasps]

[babbling] Chaka-chaka-chaka.

[Yura] Then, do you have any videos of

you guys training, or something?

I'd like to see.

[piano version of "Kujira" playing]

A video?

Yeah, t-to look at our training sessions

from an objective perspective.

Ah, good idea!

Um, but why does Yura want to see it too?

[Kabo] Uh, I-I-I guess that…

Yura must l-like your dancing t-too.

She wants to learn from you,

but I think she's too shy to say so.

Then why don't the three of us

make a video together?

[music fades]

Okay, then.

Shall we run through the choreography

we know so far for the contest?

Yes, yes.

[Kabo] Um, c-c-can I put the music on?

Hmm, I guess if it's just one song…

If we get in trouble,

then we'll just get yelled at.

-[Yura grunts]

-[Kabo grunts]

["Kujira playing on speakers]

Yaffle feat. Sahnya - KUJIRA

[music fades]

[music resumes on phone]

[Yura] When you watch it back, you can see

the pause between each movement…

Whereas I'm moving all of the time.

Wanda has a way of pausing

that makes her moves really pop.

It makes the beats of the music pop too.

And, even though Kabo and Wanda

have super different body types…

No way.

I'm totally rushing?

[Kabo groans]

[gasps] Is that really me?

I look like a totally different person

from when I was in junior high school.

[joyful piano music playing]

[Wanda gasps]

Wow, humans are really amazing.

Just be honest, I'm rushing, aren't I?

[Wanda] Yeah, a little.

[scoffs]

[Wanda] But your dancing

is full of spirit.

I can really see your drive

to reach the next level.

There's something about it

that really captivates me.

[Yura gasps]

[grunts, gasps]

Okay, okay. I get it already.

I'm going to start really listening

to the music.

It's fine. Next time,

I'll perform with you guys.

Yeah, I want to perform together.

[crowd cheering, applauding]

Championship round. Masashi vs. Iori.

All right, let's see them go all out!

[in English] DJ, let's go!

["Samurai - 2022 version" playing

on speakers]

[Iori, in Japanese] First,

listen to the music a little.

Get a general sense

for the overall feel of the music.

Then, focus on

listening to the beat in detail.

Catch the kick, snare and high-hat.

Listen for the top layers,

like the melody and vocals.

The song's looping pattern,

the way the music unfolds.

Then, I throw away everything

I've built up in my head

and immerse myself in the music again

with a fresh, open mind.

[inhales sharply]

[exhales sharply]

[clubgoer] Congrats on winning.

Man, you were awesome, Iori.

You're drinking something sweet, huh?

It's seriously yummy. It's a yogurt drink.

You're still a second year

in high school, right?

It's rare to find someone your age

who has that much feeling.

Nah, I'm sure in Osaka or Tokyo there

must be loads of people as good as me.

Do you think so?

[Iori] But back in my hometown,

there really aren't any house dancers.

Everyone's a B-Boy.

[clubgoer] That's a shame.

Uh, isn't there a dance club

at your school?

There kinda is.

But the dance club is kinda…

Well, you get it.

["Kujira" playing on speakers]

[music stops]

[groans] The whole thing is wrong.

It's fine, it's fine!

You're getting better.

Make sure you watch your own videos back.

Okay, next person!

-Yep!

-Um, yo!

[music resumes]

[Shiki] Hikari is so good. As usual.

Even when she dances alongside On,

she gives off her own unique vibe.

It's to the point where you can't

even tell who created the routine.

And then there's Kabo…

Sometimes, Kabo is so like, "Wait, what?"

And other times,

he's an incredible dancer.

Totally. But that's probably

when he dances close to Wanda.

[dancer] Yeah, maybe!

[Shiki] No, he changes

the nuance of his dancing every time.

Sometimes he purposely goes

with a loose style,

and sometimes he purposely makes it tight.

You can see the way

he uses trial and error.

At first, I thought Kabo was just a kid

who was tagging along with Hikari,

but maybe eventually…

AUDIENCE

STAGE LEFT - STAGE - STAGE RIGH

[On] Let me explain some things

about the stage.

When you look at the audience

from the stage,

"stage right" is on the right,

and "stage left" is on your left.

STAGE LEFT - STAGE RIGH

It's confusing if

you only say "left" and "right."

When you're waiting in the wings,

be careful not to get caught

in the audience's view.

If the audience can see you from here,

you can consider yourself exposed.

On stage, there are markers placed

at 90 centimeter intervals.

Use them as a reference

when changing formations.

Is there anything else

anyone wants to know?

STAGE TERMS

[Yura] Yes.

What criteria do the judges use

to decide the rankings of the contest?

Oh, yeah. And who are the judges, exactly?

The judging is usually done

by five adults.

Most of them are professional dancers,

and occasionally, there are

important people from the sponsors.

DANCE SKILL: 10 POINTS

STAGING: 10 POINTS

COORDINATION: 10 POINTS

KNOWLEDGE: 10 POINTS

The judging criteria varies

depending on the competition.

EXPRESSIVENESS: 10 POINTS

This is roughly what's posted

on the website this time.

Oh, seems kinda difficult.

[dancer] I don't really get it.

[Kabo] I wonder how well we're doing

at the moment based on this graph.

Well, don't worry about it too much.

In the end, all that matters

is performing a good dance routine,

and you all can do that!

The more it starts to feel real,

the more anxious I'm getting.

Aoi, you'll be fine. You can do it!

I brought the tablet.

Let's watch last year's video.

[On] Ooh, good idea.

Here we go.

You might actually feel relieved

when you see

whether we're performing

at a higher level than last year.

-[Wanda] Hmm.

-[Kabo] Huh?

Is this video from when the club president

won the individual award?

["Off The Shade Room" playing on tablet]

-[dancer] Ooh!

-[Kabo] Hmm?

Huh? There's one guy.

And he looks super good too, right?

Ah, that's Iori Itsukushima,

a second-year student.

Actually, he mainly dances house,

but last year he performed hip-hop

with the dance club.

[Kabo] He's so good…

I wish he'd come to the club more.

[grunts] Oh, the other day, someone asked

me if Iori will be performing this year.

Seems like a bit of a rumor

has been going around.

They're saying there's one really

talented guy at Ichirin High School.

Maybe this year,

Kabo will be mistaken for Iori.

[Kabo gasps]

[music fades]

Wanda, Kabo,

can I speak to you for a second?

You both probably want

a moment to shine, right?

[Kabo] Huh?

[On] Everyone has

their own moment to shine,

but for the two of you,

maybe something a bit more acrobatic.

[Kabo] Mmm.

[On] Wanda, stand there.

So at the end of your routine…

Let's add a bit of momentum.

Slide under.

Push with one hand behind you

while you duck under and,

at the same time, stretch out your legs.

At the bit where the song goes,

"Nothing but the feeling,"

push forward sharply and stand up.

You pull with your legs

and add momentum with your upper body.

-[gasps]

-I can prepare

the choreography routine up to here,

or you two can create it together.

[croons]

[On] This time, the song doesn't have

too many intense movements.

I think just this alone

will be pretty unexpected.

Can you do it?

[chuckles]

[grunts]

[audience cheering, applauding]

Let's do it, Kabo!

[whimpers softly]

[lo-fi hip-hop music playing

on headphones]

[On hums]

Iori! Hey!

On.

You went to the battle last week, right?

How was it?

I won first place.

Wow!

How's your dance club going right now?

[snickers]

We're doing good.

Right now, we're practicing

the choreography for the contest.

Oh? Sounds pretty good.

It's turning into something interesting.

You performed at

the contest last year, right?

This year,

there's a first-year guy named Kabo.

I think he might get mistaken for you.

He's only been dancing for two months,

so he's feeling the pressure.

[Iori] That's rough.

But Kabo actually has

a pretty good sense for it.

Surprisingly, I think he might be able

to live up to those expectations.

See you later, Iori.

[Iori] Is that the super good dancer

you mentioned before?

You'll have to see for yourself.

["Catch the Vibe" playing]

HIP ROLLING PRACTICE

[panting] Hey, Wanda…

Yeah?

[students chanting]

You got this! You got this!

[groans, panting]

I wonder why I was chosen

as one of the selected members.

-[Wanda] Hmm…

-[Aoi] Hmm?

[gasps] Shall we ask On?

[On] You want to know why I chose you?

Hmm.

Why do you think?

Is it because I'm the tallest

among the first-year girls?

[On] What?

Wanda's a great dancer,

and Kabo is tall, so I'm…

-[Wanda] Whoa!

-[Kabo snickers]

I thought you were trying

to balance us out.

What? I don't choose people

just based on body type.

Sure, having long arms and legs is good,

but I'm short after all.

This might sound strange,

but the most important thing in dance

is the feeling.

-[Wanda] Huh?

-[Aoi grunts]

-[yelps]

-[Iori yelps]

-[Kabo] S-Sorry.

-[Iori] No prob.

[Iori] He's so tall.

[Kabo] Ah, that's Iori.

What should I do…

Since he's in the dance club,

should I say hi?

I don't want things to be awkward later.

If I just say hi quietly from here…

[softly] Hello.

Oh.

-Uh, are you…

-[Kabo] Hmm?

Are you Kabo?

You got a second?

[Kabo gasps]

[chuckles]