While most teenagers were planning field trips to malls, amusement parks, proms and champagne parties, Shoji Yamasaki, EC transfer student, was planning toward a future as a professional choreographer.
Yamasaki is a 19-year-old dance major and has auditioned for one of the most prestigious dance programs at UCLA this past winter break. He’s been at EC for two years and hopes to transfer this fall to UCLA and be apart of the dance program. As talented as he is as a choreographer, he still manages to please his family by double majoring in Spanish.
“Although my parents do not want me to dance [professionally], I take it very serious[ly] as [a] career decision,” Yamasaki said, “After middle school I started dancing as a hobby.”
Despite his parents’ disbelief that dance will be a career that pays the bills, Yamasaki continues to be passionate about choreography.
“I’m sure that I want to teach emotional choreography, if I’m not sure about anything else,” Yamasaki said.
Even though Yamasaki auditioned for one of the most rigorous dance programs, it was not hard for him to choreograph a great one-minute dance piece. He did not know what they were looking for exactly, but still waits patiently to see if he has been accepted to UCLA.
“I know UCLA is more creative with modern types of dances, where[as] UCI is technical with their auditions,” Yamasaki said.
Daniel Berney, EC dance professor, has had the pleasure of working with Yamasaki in many different areas. He has taught him from the history of dance to ballet techniques. Yamasaki has also performed in his dances.
“As far as what we [Pam Santelman, choreography instructor, and I) see, his real niche is [in] choreography,” Berney said. “He’s very prolific. He comes up with all kinds of different [and] interesting ideas. I think him auditioning at UCLA is [best] because they’re into the whole choreography process.”
UCLA is a better choice for Yamasaki rather than UC Irvine because his true passion is in choreography.
“It’s rigorous in a different form than UCI,” Berney said. “UCI is looking for your techniques; they’re looking for how accomplished [of] a dancer you are. UCLA is looking for how creative a choreographer you can be and how open to different movement styles you can be.”
Berney believes that Yamasaki has an excellent chance of getting accepted into UCLA not only because he is a transfer student, but because he already possesses foundation beaneath him and more dance experience.
“He’s here, he’s going on,” Berney said. “I know that Shoji has a great future ahead of him as a choreographer and I am proud to have worked with him.”
Yamasaki is a bright and talented star who is full of fiery energy. He wants to inspire people through his choreography on a more emotional level.
“[I choreographed a piece] last semester about a girl making a 9-1-1 phone call,” Yamasaki said. “This piece was so emotional that I looked out at the audience and [noticed] people crying.
Yamasaki has also auditioned his choreography for the spring dance concert showing this May. His parents may not think dance is the best career option for him, but others like Berney persist to think otherwise and encourage students to keep supporting Yamasaki.
“It would be good for people to come out [and] see him and his work before he leaves EC,” Berney said.
