“I want to forge a new path with SUNNY SIDE UP and perform on the world stage” — Interview with Dancer ATSUSHI

ATSUSHI, a dancer who pursues his own unique path as a performer with a philosophy of genre-defying movement and dynamic physical expression, has joined SUNNY SIDE UP as a specialist starting in July!

ATSUSHI is also known as a former member of Dragon Ash, but he actually has a long history with SUNNY SIDE UP.

On the occasion of his joining the team, we conducted an online interview with ATSUSHI, who is currently in Paris. We asked him about his career, his encounter with SUNNY SIDE UP, and his future plans.

How he started dancing and his career to date

— First, please tell us about your career.

ATSUSHI: I started dancing when I was in my second year of high school. Until then, I had been seriously playing soccer—serious enough to aim for the World Cup—but at some point, playing soccer started to feel like an obligation. Around that time, a friend in my hometown was doing street dance, which inspired me to start dancing too. Moving my body freely was unexpectedly fun and felt right for me.

— After that, you began performing at events and eventually became a member of Dragon Ash.

ATSUSHI: Street dance is much more popular now than it was back then, but at the time, even if you were good at dancing, you couldn’t make a living as a professional. But rather than giving up, I thought that if there was no path to being a professional, I would forge one myself. Through various encounters, I met the members of Dragon Ash, and after appearing in their music videos and serving as a support member, I officially joined the group.

ATSUSHI: If I couldn’t make a living as a backup dancer, I thought I should become a main dancer. Apparently, it was quite shocking to those around me. If I did the same thing as everyone else, I would just be a copycat, so I wanted to do something truly unique.

— As a result, you gained numerous experiences, including performing on main stages at major festivals.

During my street days, even after practicing night after night, we could barely gather 100 people for an event. But with Dragon Ash, I was able to perform on stages with thousands, even tens of thousands of people. I experienced stage fright for the first time, and I remember thinking I had to work hard to keep standing on that stage.

— Since then, you have continued to expand your activities, including solo work and appearances in fashion shows.

Because I was doing something unconventional, I sometimes faced criticism, and there was a period when I thought about quitting dance. That led me to question myself: “Why am I dancing?” In pursuit of my own style, I began dancing solo as well. I thought solo activities would also benefit Dragon Ash, but somewhere inside, I also felt that I had to be able to make it as an individual dancer.

— Did you find an answer to that question—”the reason you dance”?

Through various experiences, I have now arrived at the answer: “dancing life itself.” Even so, I think I will continue to question myself for the rest of my life. As long as I am alive, I want to keep dancing while questioning myself.

Meeting SUNNY SIDE UP

— Now we would like to hear from our Managing Director Matsumoto, who has a long relationship with ATSUSHI. Please tell us about your first encounter with SUNNY SIDE UP.

ATSUSHI: We first met in 2004 during a commercial shoot for Tohato, where I met Matsumoto-san and others. They welcomed me very warmly, and as I visited the office, we became close. We have maintained a relationship where we meet once every few years. Since we both work across a wide range of activities, we may not know everything about each other, but I feel we have built a relationship of trust at a comfortable distance. It may sound presumptuous, but I feel that this moment has come at the right time.

Matsumoto: It has been about 18 years now.

ATSUSHI: When I started “POWER of LIFE” (a project to convey the wonder and value of life force), I had many conversations with the SUNNY SIDE UP team, and I am very grateful to be able to spend time together without any pretense.

Matsumoto: ATSUSHI has connections not only with the Tohato staff and myself at the time, but also with many other members and athletes. Even before officially joining us, he was already like a member of SUNNY SIDE UP.

ATSUSHI: I am the type of person who values connections with people. I believe that everyone I meet is connected by fate, so it felt like a natural progression. When I recently visited the SUNNY SIDE UP office, the atmosphere was wonderful, and I could feel that everyone was doing PR work because they genuinely wanted to. I want to actively engage with the new members as well.

What ATSUSHI wants to do with SUNNY SIDE UP going forward

— What would you like to do together with SUNNY SIDE UP in the future?

ATSUSHI: I engage in a wide range of activities—not limited to dance, but also appearing in fashion shows and launching projects—but my core is still dancing, and I have a strong desire to perform on the world stage. There was a time when I could not feel positive about Japan, but after participating in recovery support activities following the 3.11 disaster, I came to know Japanese culture and its virtues. That is why my desire to perform globally has grown stronger, and I would be happy if we could work together on communicating that message. I have also set a goal of performing at the Paris Opera House at age 60, so I hope to forge a new path together with the SUNNY SIDE UP team.

— You are always taking on new challenges and forging new paths.

ATSUSHI: That is just my personality. I know the benefits of working as a team and the benefits of working solo, so I hope to leverage both and have a great time at SUNNY SIDE UP.

Matsumoto: I think there is a difference between SUNNY SIDE UP members “knowing” ATSUSHI and “recognizing him as a colleague.” SUNNY SIDE UP has many young members, and I would be happy if everyone could develop a relationship where they think of him as “our ATSUSHI” and speak about him that way. ATSUSHI’s past activities can be found online, but his future plans are in his head, so I want him to share those with everyone and think together about what we can do.

ATSUSHI: Until now, I have done everything myself, but I also want to be proposed to and directed by the younger generation, like the SUNNY SIDE UP members. I definitely want to communicate extensively and create something new together.

— With SUNNY SIDE UP members working across various PR genres and ATSUSHI’s wide-ranging activities, it seems like anything is possible.

ATSUSHI: If we are going to do this, I want it to be work that stimulates both sides. I hope we can hold a major event in Paris someday. Just as Hidetoshi Nakata forged a new path, I want to forge a new path through dance.

After 20 years with Dragon Ash and 10 years of 3.11 support activities entering a new phase, I think I have entered an era of pursuing my own dreams. The children who were young during 3.11 have grown into adults over time, so I want to work hard to show them a cool example to follow.

Surprisingly, ATSUSHI has had a long relationship with SUNNY SIDE UP for about 18 years. His constant pursuit of new challenges is truly inspiring.

Please look forward to the projects that will emerge from the partnership between ATSUSHI and SUNNY SIDE UP!

Official Website: https://atsushi-takahashi.com/
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/ATSUSHI_ODORI
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atsushi_takahashi_official/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DancerATSUSHI