For my CIP, I attended Mat Pilates classes at my local Gold’s Gym. This was a very relaxing experience in which I learned new poses and forms I wasn’t familiar with. My advice to future students is to choose a CIP that fits seamlessly into your schedule and take advantage of the opportunity to try something new!

This semester I took one on one shamisen lessons once a week from Kurahashi-Sensei. Throughout the semester, I learned a lot of different techniques and a completely new style of reading music. At the end, I was able to play a duet with my sensei on the koto, which was really rewarding.

Despite having some previous experience with other instruments, it was my first time learning a string instrument. I’m glad I got to go through learning a new instrument over again, while picking up little bits of Japanese culture along the way through the friendly conversational environment with Kurahashi-Sensei and her family. 

If I had to give advice it would be to feel free to try something new. I remember that I was super nervous about learning a new instrument in a foreign language, but I’m really glad I went through with it. Lessons with my sensei made for an amazing opportunity to learn a lot about Japanese music, and discover another side of Japanese culture that I hadn’t seen before.

At Fly Dance Studio, you have the opportunity to learn dance from a diverse range of instructors. Whether you’re interested in hip-hop, k-pop, jazz, house, or any other style, there’s a class for you. To get started, create an account with them and choose between paying per class or purchasing a pass that allows you to attend multiple classes freely.

If you’re a beginner dancer looking to learn choreography, Fly Dance Studio is the perfect place to learn. The instructors are incredibly friendly and welcoming, and most importantly, they really invest in your learning. Dancing at Fly Dance Studio was a blast as the environment was super fun and encouraging. It seriously reignited my love for dance.

Chika’s 初めてのHip-Hop Class!

Fly Dance Studio is a dance studio located in Sanjo where you can attend a variety of classes ranging from beginner to advanced in styles ranging from k-pop to hip hop to breaking, locking, freestyle, jazz, and more. 

Although this CIP would definitely require more effort on your part to make friends and connect with classmates and teachers, it is an especially great opportunity for experienced dancers to experience the dance scene in Japan firsthand! 

I definitely recommend picking a CIP that has both components of something familiar and unfamiliar. For me, dancing k-pop was somewhat familiar, and attending class and dancing hip-hop were wholly unfamiliar to me. Whenever I was struggling with aspects of the unfamiliar like the classes going too fast or the teachers being scary, I was able to fall back on the k-pop class and my enjoyment of that choreography and that music, and that experience helped me to persevere past the others. 

My biggest piece of advice is to try and make friends with the people at your CIP! Although it was extremely difficult for me in the moment for factors such as most of my classmates being middle schoolers and already in extremely tight knit groups coming to class and there being very limited space in the studio for talking in between classes, in hindsight, I could have definitely attempted to bond with the classmates I kept seeing over and over at the same classes. For this CIP in particular, foreigners are not an unusual sight at the dance studio, so it is definitely a little bit more of a safer space to attempt and speak to Japanese people you’ve never met before. Additionally, the dance scene as a whole appears to be somewhat casual and pretty social, so it definitely felt more approachable or acceptable to try and start a conversation than it might be in other more formal settings. The studio itself is also surrounded by a ton of trendy shops and a movie theater, so it’s a great place to hang out before and/or after class as well!