Our Town 2024 Shoutaro Sagara

2023 WORLD HIPHOP DANCE CHAMPIONSHIP 3rd Place

In August, at the World Hip Hop Dance Championship "2023 WORLD HIPHOP DANCE CHAMPIONSHIP" held in Arizona, USA, Shoutaro Sagara (a first-year junior high school student) from Sakahama participated in the junior division of "KONAMI J.B.STAR" (a division competing with teams composed of ages 7 to 12). A total of 42 teams participated in the competition, and "KONAMI J.B.STAR JUNIOR" won a bronze medal.

Mr. Sagara encountered dance at the age of 6, developed an interest, and began practicing dance at Konami Sports Club Inagi from the first grade of elementary school. In the sixth grade, he passed the audition for the select team "KONAMI J.B.STAR".

Currently, in addition to practicing twice a week with the select team and twice a week at Konami Sports Club Inagi, I am also a member of the dance club in my school's extracurricular activities. Furthermore, I dedicate 30 minutes to 1 hour each day to self-practice, immersing myself in dance.

Mr. Sagara practices hard every day, but on his days off, he enjoys playing his favorite games and watching anime, showing a side of him that is typical of a middle school student.　

The practice for the select team involves a lot of acrobatic movements and strength training, and it can be tough at times. When I asked about the challenges, they said, "It's difficult to remember the choreography, and there are times when I feel frustrated, but I have a strong desire to become much better at dancing," and I also heard their passionate commitment, saying, "I just have to keep working hard and practicing."

In competitions, expressions are also included in the scoring, making them very important. It seems that Sagara-san practices her expressions daily, and she was always impressive with her smile. Sagara-san graduated from the junior division of the selection team last autumn and is currently active in the varsity division (ages 13 to 17).

Let's look forward to the future activities of Sagara, who is passionate about dance.