Tsubakill’s Sayaka: “K-Dance Craze is Amazing… Cheering for ‘World of SWF’ Japanese Dancers”
Tsubakill’s Sayaka: “K-Dance Craze is Amazing… Cheering for ‘World of SWF’ Japanese Dancers” Expanding Korean activities through ‘Street Woman Fighter 2’
Appeared in Taeyeon’s MV, performed on stage with Youngji in Japan
Attending as judge at the end-of-July ‘Dance Supremacy’ competition and performing with Tsubakill “Korean dancers have a much broader range of work and stronger public popularity — I’m honestly a bit envious.” Mnet’s hit show World of Street Woman Fighter brings together people of different nationalities and languages to communicate and compete purely through dance. The stage is electrifying, and the dancers are full of passion. With K-dancers and multinational performers alike gaining attention, Japan’s top dancer Sayaka is also excited for global activities, inspired by this “good stimulation.” Recently invited to Korea for an event held in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do, Sayaka sat down for an interview at the JoyNews24 office. She shared, “Thanks to my appearance on SWF, I’ve had more opportunities in Korea and experienced many changes as a dancer.” Tsubakill, a dance crew that gained recognition among Korean fans through Street Woman Fighter 2 in 2023, is led by Sayaka. Although the team was unfortunately eliminated, their trendy and unique performances earned them plenty of love. When asked about her recent activities post-SWF2, Sayaka said, “I appeared in Taeyeon’s music video, performed in various dance shows in Japan, shared the stage with Lee Youngji at a concert in Japan, and even appeared on singer Kangnam’s YouTube channel.” Born in 1987, Sayaka is 39 this year — an age considered senior for a dancer. She admitted, “I’ve actually thought about quitting dancing many times and looking for another job. But nothing was as captivating as dance, and there were always people who wanted to dance with me.” Sayaka has been active as a dancer for over 20 years. Her life changed when she unexpectedly joined her high school dance club. “I discovered dance in my second year of high school. The kendo club disbanded, and everyone moved to the dance club, so I joined too — and completely fell in love with it. At first, I just wanted to be better than the other members, so I worked hard. Whenever we competed, we got great results, and I realized, ‘I must be talented at this.’ After graduation, I briefly worked as a shop clerk but soon pursued dance professionally. I worked as a backup dancer and performed with a crew. I considered quitting many times, but people around me always talked me out of it. Looking back now, I’m so glad I didn’t quit.” A turning point came with Street Woman Fighter 2. Tsubakill was a project team formed specifically for the show, centered around Japan’s top choreographer Akanen, with Sayaka joining as a sub-leader. Their main style is dancehall. “Tsubakill is a team made up of dancers who love Korea, want to gain recognition there, and aim for global activities. It was an incredible experience that I couldn’t have had in Japan. The cultural differences were fascinating too. In Japan, people might recognize you but pretend not to; in Korea, they’ll come up and say hello. My follower count also skyrocketed.” Back then, Tsubakill was eliminated in the “K-pop Deathmatch Mission” and the final battle against Wolflo. She recalled, “I wasn’t burdened by the competition itself, but I wasn’t in great condition, having only just arrived in Korea. I didn’t even get to show our main genre, dancehall. I think I only showed 50% of what I’m capable of. If I get another chance, I’d like to prepare thoroughly and showcase my true skills.” Sayaka is currently watching World of SWF, where her teammate Rena is competing on Team Tokyo, and her Japanese dancer friends are representing Team Osaka Ojoken. She’s been enthusiastically cheering them on and feeling inspired. “I cheered for Rena, who competed in a style she’s really good at, and imagined, ‘What if I were competing too?’ I’m from Osaka, so I know all the Osaka team members. We’ve competed and taken classes together before. I even sent them supportive messages this time.” Sayaka has been expanding her presence not only in Japan but also in Korea. Signed with Korean management agency Aspekt ENT, she has performed at events across the country and collaborated with various Korean artists. She’s amazed at the K-dance craze and the popularity of performers. “Korean dancers seem to have lots of fans and get attention as stars, which I find enviable. They appear on TV, and their work range is broader. In Japan, the profession doesn’t have such a great image and opinions are more divided. Even the audience atmosphere is different — Japanese audiences are more reserved and clap quietly, while Korean audiences are lively and might even start dancing along (laughs).” Recently, Sayaka attended a concert by the girl group KISS OF LIFE. “All four members are gorgeous and perform so well. Their style makes me want to dance, and I love their music so much I’d love to create a performance for them,” she shared, hinting at her wish for a future collaboration. Sayaka will return to Korea at the end of July. On the 26th, she’ll serve as a judge at the global dance competition Dance Supremacy’s “Kings & Queens Korea,” alongside Baby Sleek and Calvin, the leader of The Stories, known from America’s Got Talent. Tsubakill will also appear as a special guest, delivering a stunning stage. Reflecting on her own experiences, she said, “I’ve competed in many dance contests myself. I practiced a lot, but I always approached it with the confidence of ‘I’m going to win no matter what.’” She offered warm advice for future dancers: “I hope they’ll show their own dance styles.”
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Tsubakill’s Sayaka: “K-Dance Craze is Amazing… Cheering for ‘World of SWF’ Japanese Dancers”
Tsubakill’s Sayaka: “K-Dance Craze is Amazing… Cheering for ‘World of SWF’ Japanese Dancers”
Expanding Korean activities through ‘Street Woman Fighter 2’
Appeared in Taeyeon’s MV, performed on stage with Youngji in Japan
Attending as judge at the end-of-July ‘Dance Supremacy’ competition and performing with Tsubakill
“Korean dancers have a much broader range of work and stronger public popularity — I’m honestly a bit envious.”
Mnet’s hit show World of Street Woman Fighter brings together people of different nationalities and languages to communicate and compete purely through dance. The stage is electrifying, and the dancers are full of passion. With K-dancers and multinational performers alike gaining attention, Japan’s top dancer Sayaka is also excited for global activities, inspired by this “good stimulation.”
Recently invited to Korea for an event held in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do, Sayaka sat down for an interview at the JoyNews24 office. She shared, “Thanks to my appearance on SWF, I’ve had more opportunities in Korea and experienced many changes as a dancer.”
Tsubakill, a dance crew that gained recognition among Korean fans through Street Woman Fighter 2 in 2023, is led by Sayaka. Although the team was unfortunately eliminated, their trendy and unique performances earned them plenty of love.
When asked about her recent activities post-SWF2, Sayaka said, “I appeared in Taeyeon’s music video, performed in various dance shows in Japan, shared the stage with Lee Youngji at a concert in Japan, and even appeared on singer Kangnam’s YouTube channel.”
Born in 1987, Sayaka is 39 this year — an age considered senior for a dancer. She admitted, “I’ve actually thought about quitting dancing many times and looking for another job. But nothing was as captivating as dance, and there were always people who wanted to dance with me.”
Sayaka has been active as a dancer for over 20 years. Her life changed when she unexpectedly joined her high school dance club.
“I discovered dance in my second year of high school. The kendo club disbanded, and everyone moved to the dance club, so I joined too — and completely fell in love with it. At first, I just wanted to be better than the other members, so I worked hard. Whenever we competed, we got great results, and I realized, ‘I must be talented at this.’ After graduation, I briefly worked as a shop clerk but soon pursued dance professionally. I worked as a backup dancer and performed with a crew. I considered quitting many times, but people around me always talked me out of it. Looking back now, I’m so glad I didn’t quit.”
A turning point came with Street Woman Fighter 2. Tsubakill was a project team formed specifically for the show, centered around Japan’s top choreographer Akanen, with Sayaka joining as a sub-leader. Their main style is dancehall.
“Tsubakill is a team made up of dancers who love Korea, want to gain recognition there, and aim for global activities. It was an incredible experience that I couldn’t have had in Japan. The cultural differences were fascinating too. In Japan, people might recognize you but pretend not to; in Korea, they’ll come up and say hello. My follower count also skyrocketed.”
Back then, Tsubakill was eliminated in the “K-pop Deathmatch Mission” and the final battle against Wolflo. She recalled, “I wasn’t burdened by the competition itself, but I wasn’t in great condition, having only just arrived in Korea. I didn’t even get to show our main genre, dancehall. I think I only showed 50% of what I’m capable of. If I get another chance, I’d like to prepare thoroughly and showcase my true skills.”
Sayaka is currently watching World of SWF, where her teammate Rena is competing on Team Tokyo, and her Japanese dancer friends are representing Team Osaka Ojoken. She’s been enthusiastically cheering them on and feeling inspired.
“I cheered for Rena, who competed in a style she’s really good at, and imagined, ‘What if I were competing too?’ I’m from Osaka, so I know all the Osaka team members. We’ve competed and taken classes together before. I even sent them supportive messages this time.”
Sayaka has been expanding her presence not only in Japan but also in Korea. Signed with Korean management agency Aspekt ENT, she has performed at events across the country and collaborated with various Korean artists. She’s amazed at the K-dance craze and the popularity of performers.
“Korean dancers seem to have lots of fans and get attention as stars, which I find enviable. They appear on TV, and their work range is broader. In Japan, the profession doesn’t have such a great image and opinions are more divided. Even the audience atmosphere is different — Japanese audiences are more reserved and clap quietly, while Korean audiences are lively and might even start dancing along (laughs).”
Recently, Sayaka attended a concert by the girl group KISS OF LIFE. “All four members are gorgeous and perform so well. Their style makes me want to dance, and I love their music so much I’d love to create a performance for them,” she shared, hinting at her wish for a future collaboration.
Sayaka will return to Korea at the end of July. On the 26th, she’ll serve as a judge at the global dance competition Dance Supremacy’s “Kings & Queens Korea,” alongside Baby Sleek and Calvin, the leader of The Stories, known from America’s Got Talent. Tsubakill will also appear as a special guest, delivering a stunning stage.
Reflecting on her own experiences, she said, “I’ve competed in many dance contests myself. I practiced a lot, but I always approached it with the confidence of ‘I’m going to win no matter what.’” She offered warm advice for future dancers: “I hope they’ll show their own dance styles.”