News

Waseda Ballroom Dance Club (WBDC)

Chisato Oyama
Fourth year, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering

Raito Yokoyama
Third year, School of Human Sciences

Raito Yokoyama played basketball in middle school and high school and decided to join the Waseda Ballroom Dance Club after experiencing dancing at a welcome event for new students. Chisato Oyama began learning ballet at three years old and is experienced in jazz, hip-hop and other dance styles, and joined the club in her sophomore year to challenge herself. They advanced to the final stage of the Samba category of the Japan College Ballroom Dance Competition just two years after starting ballroom dance.

“What’s difficult about Samba is the unique, wavy move called “bounce action” and learning to express ourselves as a man and woman. When I wasn’t attending class, I spent most of my time practicing dance,” says Yokoyama. “How I use my hands to lead or follow a partner can positively or negatively affect my partner’s moves so my goal was to improve my technique so I could significantly amplify both my moves and my partner’s moves.

With their energetic and unified performance, the Oyama and Yokoyama pair successfully finished in second place among much more experienced ballroom dancers. “Since starting ballroom dance, I find myself enjoying challenging practice sessions. I can practice hard because I like ballroom dance, and if I practice hard, I want to win,” says Oyama. “I want to prove that anyone can become No. 1 in college ballroom dance if they try their best, even if they only started ballroom dance in college. I also want more people to watch and enjoy ballroom dance,” says Yokoyama.

The two are continuing to practice and train in order to take first place at the next competition this summer.

Chisato Oyama & Raito Yokoyama

Chisato Oyama is originally from Saitama and graduated from Ochanomizu University Senior High School. Raito Yokoyama is originally from Tokyo and graduated from Sugamo Senior High School. Ballroom dance is divided into two categories: Standard (waltz and four other styles) and Latin American (samba and four other styles). The Japan College Ballroom Dance Competition is held twice a year in—in the summer and the winter. The Yokoyama and Oyama pair took first place in the Paso Doble category at the Spring Competition of the Big Six Universities in Tokyo (Waseda University, Keio University, Tokyo University, Meiji University, Rikkyo University and Hosei University) held in May, and third place in the Cha-cha-cha category at the Eastern Japan College Ballroom Dance Competition held in June.