“The reason why we dance.” ( Oppai Sisters )
日japanizeversion 「私たちが踊るわけ」日本語版(動画も)こちら“The reason why we dance.” ( Oppai Sisters )PART1From Kyoko TakenakaI'm the author of the book "Oppai to Dakko (Breast and Hug)".When the book first published in 2003, I got plenty of opposing opinions against the title.Such as 'Doesn't it work with "Natural-feeding"?'Or 'It's embarrassing to use the word "Oppai (Breast)". Can't you use another word for the title? 'Against all those oppositions, I've been appealing that ' "Oppai (Breast)" means not only the liquid; mother's milk, please do not think it's just a matter of nutrition, but also the warmth of mom's skin, and the pleasantness when you are hugged. So, Oppai (Breast) and Dakko (Hug) are important thing as one set'.Breast and Hug is also an universally important for us when we are raised up and live as human being. Precisely for this reason, I wrote this book.However, it's quite difficult to make people understand this importance.Then, I thought of doing a performance that everybody could understand at first sight!For that, I must ask a professional of performance. Moreover, should be the one who has an experience of breast-feeding. So I asked Natsumi Suzuki, the pop idol singer and a mother, to choreograph my idea.PART2From Natsumi SuzukiI was asked to choreograph "Oppai Sisters (Breast Sisters)" last summer, a year ago.I'm breast-feeding my baby now. I've been a pop idol singer before my marriage.Actually, I was planning to hide my marriage and baby. Then when my childcare settled down, I was supposed to be on stage as nothing had happened.Before my childbirth, I was thinking childcare would be easy.But, after having a baby, things didn't work well. I was up to my ears in childcare and housework. However I felt I want to sing again.When my baby boy was under 12 months of age, I held a live performance with him. When he grizzled, I put him in the baby sling, breast-fed and kept singing.Besides my stage activity, I've also been working as an adviser of clothes for nursing at MO HOUSE.So, I'm a professional of breast-feeding, its clothes, and singing & dancing in front of audience.As you see our dance on YouTube, this performance images joy and beauty of women raising their children. Such as Dakko(Hug), Onbu(Piggyback ride), breast-feeding, heart, and breast massage.Actually, you can dance with a baby in the sling. So when you dance alone, you might feel my choreography a bit slow. But I intentionally made it slow so that you can dance with a baby's weight.I hope moms enjoy dancing with their babies in the sling, with joy and happiness.PART3From Mayumi Mitogawahttp://disability-culture.jp/party/675I received the request to perform as a member of “Oppai Sisters (Breast Sisters)” 10 days before the event, 3 days before the rehearsal.I said “OK!” immediately, because I know Kyoko Takenaka and about her “Mother’s Milk Hotline” activity very well, and I also thought “Kyoko asked me so that she knew that I dance”.Especially recently, I’ve been doing various kinds of activities as the director of “Japan Down Syndrome Society = JDS” and “Japan Doula Society”, under the theme of “Erase the border in our mind”.One of those activities, we dance hip-hop with parents and their sons with down syndrome. We also perform it on stage in public.I said OK so that I thought it for granted that Kyoko knows my activities, but she didn’t know them at all. Lol!I really understand her difficulties to support breast-feeding, too.Kyoko was thinking “Can’t I express the part that can’t be explained only with words?”‘Could it possible to make “Oppai to Dakko (Breast and Hug)” activity widely known to not only people who are looking after children, but also those who are not?’Kyoko also thought “Couldn’t it possible to realize it in an entertainment world?”I had sympathized with her desire so much, so I OKed on performing and being on YouTube.On left, Mr. Youichi Yoshinaga, Photographer.Messages from the members of “Oppai Sisters (Breast Sisters)”.It’s a big fun to dance with three of us together in nursingclothes.After watching this dance, people say “You three had very nice look!” This dance reminds me of when I was bringing up my baby and it heals me somehow…Especially, when I dance the part of “Dakko(Hug)”, I feel amazingly sweet.The breast-feeding days of my first baby won’t come back to me, but I can recall “Dakko(Hug)” feeling again with this dance!I hope to keep dancing this to many more people with a prayer that something invisible but important would be shared with them.