Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chisato Iimori. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chisato, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I’m glad that I chose this path of being a creative and dancer. For me, I went through many processes to decide on what I am doing right now. Through all the hardships, I continued dancing because I didn’t want to regret not even trying. Dance, which is art and culture, has no “right” answer. I believe it’s one of the fun parts about dance to create something new and explore my body’s movement and ideas. Dance is unlimited and we’re unlimited. That’s the biggest difference from a regular job, I think. So I’m happy as a creative. Though there are sometimes tough times, I love making someone feel happy or bettering people’s lives through my work. I don’t wonder what it would be like to have a regular job, but I sometimes think about doing something besides dance, such as helping others with my dance or knowledge. I’ve been interested in UNICEF for a while, so I would like to do something for them with my dance in the future.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a professional dancer/ choreographer/ instructor in the music industry. I work with artists for their concerts, music videos, and commercials. I also teach my dance styles and share my knowledge to people as part of my job. I started dancing when I was little. My mom took me to a dance studio because I was chubby haha. I’ve trained in all styles such as hip hop, heels and ballet based on Jazz/ theater Jazz. Dance has been part of my life since I was a kid:)
Even though I started dancing when I was 4, I actually got into this industry when I was 20. It is because I gave up my dream once to be a professional dancer when I was 16. Visiting LA by myself was inspiring but challenging for little me. I went through lots of options because I didn’t have enough confidence to be a full time dancer as my career. At that point, I had danced just for fun after that. I even studied at a university for another job, even though there was always a desire to be a dancer in my head. During the time of job hunting,I had a chance to take a big audition and fortunately I passed it. Since then, I have worked as a dancer because I realized that I enjoyed even tough and long rehearsals.
Nowadays, I provide entertainment and visual arts through my choreography. I make music visualized by expressing the lyric or putting movements from the beats/ melody in my choreography. I think my choreography and the way I perform on the stage is set apart from others because of my facial expression and the way I dance/vibes. Dancing in heels is especially my style too.
I’m proud of who I am today and the processes I’ve been through in these 6 years. Even though I started dancing when I was a little, I’m kind of new to street dance. Spending lots of time dancing to get better made me who I am today, someone who is able to work as a dancer.
I think nothing is impossible as long as you believe in yourself and work very hard on it. No matter how old you are or how much you struggle, you have potential to make your goals happen. I just wanted you to know that you have to do what you really want to do. Also, nothing is achievable by yourself, and there is always someone supporting you. So let’s be nice to others:) I’m thankful to have all of my supporters in the world. Dance is not about steps but energy coming from our hearts. Though I’m still on the way, I will create my art and try to spread my love through my dancing.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being an artist/ dancer means knowing who I am and expressing myself. A Dancer is an artist/ athlete/ creative, so I have to work on a lot of things such as musicality, stamina, and skills, which are difficult but fun. I believe perfection or a “right answer” doesn’t exist in dance. I feel the most rewarded by breaking boundaries and creating new pathways through my art. I have to know about myself very well to be myself, unique, and express myself. But because of that, it always makes me figure out myself and try to create something different from others when it comes to choreography and freestyles. There is always another goal after each goal. It keeps me challenged and makes me a better version of myself. Also, dance has a power to make people be moved and connected, regardless of nationality. When the audience feels something from my performance or when my students learn something from my class, I feel fulfilled .

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My biggest goal is to make this world better by my work through inspiring people, encouraging others, and/or helping people. But when it comes to a particular goal, it is to work with Beyonce as a dancer and choreographer. She is the person who changed my mindset and gave me the passion to keep going forward with my dream when I was a kid. So creating on the stage with her and having good impacts on others lives all over the world are my goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/chisatoiimori?utm_source=linktree_admin_share
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chi_pote27/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chisatoiimori6262

Image Credits
LookJK/ Mimee Alissa Rose Borough/ Nick Yamashita Ayesha/ Hama Show