With four days left until the Yosakoi Festival, this week we will be introducing a series of noteworthy teams. The second performance on the 6th will feature "Junin Jusai," a group that is known for its powerful male dance and supple female dance. 2023 video: "Junin Jusai, here we come" A fierce and sharp "movement" dance and a supple and beautiful "stillness" dance. "Junin Jusai" has captivated audiences with its unique worldview. Practice at Cerise Gymnasium: Just 10 days until the festival. The practice venue was filled with the enthusiasm of the dancers. "1.2.1..." "Second row!... Line up!" Formed in 1998, Juunin Jusai is a talented team that has won the Yosakoi Grand Prize five times and won the gold prize in 2023. The theme for 2024 is "Dash." It is filled with the passionate desire to "run through" the Yosakoi Festival. Choreographer Saki Yamamoto: "Go strong! Don't make mistakes! It's all about the choreography!" Saki Yamamoto, who has been leading the team and choreographing for many years, is the one who is yelling at the dancers. Choreographer Saki Yamamoto: "After all, it's the glamour of the women's dance. I want them to dance like adults because I want to cherish that glamour. I try to make the men's dance stand out by making them perform the unsung heroes and putting out the power when they go together." The "woven hat" is an essential part of the women's dance. By adjusting the angle and movement, they express "dignified strength and kindness." A dancer who has been participating since 2003: Q: What is the appeal of Tonin Tosai? "It's the sense of unity, the attractive costumes, and the dance. I think it's a dance that makes your heart flutter and moves you every year." The force that creates the unity of the team is the instructors who have been dancing Tosai for nearly 20 years, who fell in love with it. Team instructor Fumihiro Tanida: "That's right, that's right, just a little more!" Fumihiro Tanida has been an instructor for over 15 years. In addition to teaching dance, he has been in charge of the rug and has been helping to liven up the team. Team instructor Fumihiro Tanida: "Everyone has worked hard for the past two months. I want everyone to enjoy themselves because we've come this far. Regardless of whether we get a prize at the end or not, I think the most important thing is to finish with the feeling that 'I did my best, it was fun.'" In 2024, many of the dancers were dancing with Tosai for the first time, and at the beginning of practice, they struggled with the fast and sharp movements. Team instructor Ai Urata: "It's still too late, if we don't get this far in one go, then 1.2.3.4...one more time." The one who is giving detailed instructions is Ai Urata, who has been with Tosai for 17 years. In addition to the dance and music, Urata feels that the best thing about Tosai is the good teamwork like a family, and has been supporting the dancers who practice hard. Urata instructs: "Forward, forward, forward, along the line" Team instructor Urata Ai: "I feel like a parent, or maybe a teacher, and seeing the dancers grow makes me happy. When I see the kids who were struggling gradually improving, I get so happy that I almost cry." The dancers have been practicing five days a week since late May, encouraging each other. Dancers' thoughts for the performance: "I want to dance coolly, in Tosai's style." "I want to show the color that only Tosai can produce and perform a dance that will wow the people watching." Choreographer Saki Yamamoto: "We have 150 people gathered together, so I think the ability to coordinate all of them in a powerful and intense dance is something only Tosai can do. I want to work hard so that everyone will say it was amazing." Taking the Tonin Tosai concept of "100 days of training, results in an instant" to their hearts, the dancers will continue to bloom fiercely, beautifully and gloriously at the Yosakoi Festival in 2024.