One of the best parts of a dance studio are the wide variety of people, from all around the world, who come together in one location to indulge in a shared passion. Indeed, some of our students don’t even live in the United States full time. Such is the case with Etsuko Nishiyama, who travels from Japan twice a year for three months at a time to train at Aria Ballroom. We feel so lucky to have a student such as Etsuko, and not only for the yummy treats she brings us from Japan! So we thought we’d catch up with her before she once again must travel back to Japan, and learn a bit more about her story.
As mentioned earlier, Etsuko is from Japan. But what you may not know about Etsuko is that her personality is what some might call “conservative”. She has always been involved in very tradition Japanese cultural activities, such as tea ceremony and flower arranging. She is very proud of her Japanese heritage and the many detailed aspects of Japanese culture.
“Very unlike dancing,” said Etusko, “believe it or not, when wearing kimono it is traditional for Japanese women to walk pigeon-toed with small steps, not with their feet parallel and stretching their legs forward!”
Etsuko striking a pose at a dance competition.
It might come as a surprise, then, that Etsuko chose to start learning how to ballroom dance at the youthful age of 60 years old! Even more surprising was her motivation. As she puts it, her motivation to dance was born out of the innocent dreams of “aging women” intent on capturing their youth.
She was having a conversation with her best friend since elementary school, laughing and joking around, talking about their dreams together. “We came up with the idea of going on an ocean cruise together and dancing with the ship’s charming Captain,” she giggled, but then she and her friend had a simultaneous realization: “We need to learn how to dance first!”
Her friend wasted no time in turning their dream into a reality, and promptly signed up for dance classes at a local studio in Osaka. Etsuko needed a bit more time to come around to the idea, but eventually, at her friend’s prodding, she signed up for dance classes at her local gym. Little did she know that a dancing star had just been born!
Etsuko has always enjoyed spending time in America, and visited the Pacific Northwest on a yearly basis, staying for three months at a time. Once she started dancing in Japan, dance became a regular fixture of her life in America as well. At first she just danced for fun, but soon she discovered Aria Ballroom and began to train with owner Simeon Stoynov and Atanas Malamov – another teacher at Aria Ballroom at the time.
It was at that point that her dancing started to take off.
“Finding Aria Ballroom completely changed my view of dancing!” she exclaimed. “The studio and teachers were so impressive, friendly and thoughtful!”
Etsuko enjoyed training with two teachers. “Having two teachers for more flexible lesson scheduling was perfect for me, as I was a part-time student and could come for just a short time during the year. Because of these amazing teachers, I started to visit Seattle twice a year, staying almost 3 months each time. What an exciting major change in my life Aria Ballroom made!”
When Etsuko decided to try competitive dancing, she didn’t just test the waters. She decided to jump all in and chose the Embassy Ball Dancesport Championships – one of the largest and most prestigious competitions in the United States – as her first in the year 2015. We can all agree on one thing – Etsuko is certainly not lacking in any hutzpah!
“I had a wonderful and awakening experience in this very first competition,” she said. “Participating in competitions offers precious opportunities to experience a beautiful, exciting and moving dream world! Needless to say, much dedication, effort and work shape this dream world and add precious value to what we pursue.”
Originally she danced International Standard and Latin, but soon she decided to switch from studying Latin to studying American Smooth. “I like Latin, too, especially to watch,” Etsuko explained. “But the reason I chose to dance Smooth and Standard over Latin is because of my own characteristics, both physically and how I feel. The movement and expression of Latin are a bit too ‘wild’ for me.”
We asked Etsuko if she had a favorite dance, but she couldn’t quite answer that question! “Can I say I like all of the dances almost equally?” she laughed.
“I used to feel that some dances — like Foxtrot and Smooth Viennese Waltz — were just too difficult for me to enjoy. But recently I have come to enjoy them too, though they are still difficult.”
That was actually the perfect answer. As all dancers know, it’s hard to choose one dance to love above all others, since every dance has such a unique set of characteristics. Etsuko definitely thinks like a true dancer.
Etsuko dancing the dramatic Tango.
At the end of our conversation, we asked Etsuko what her goals were for the future. She didn’t have anything specific.
“I’d like to keep dancing and doing my best,” she replied.
She also intends to continue travelling back and forth between Japan and the United States in order to expand on her dance skills. Etsuko really enjoys her time at Aria Ballroom.
“The best part of training at Aria Ballroom is the top quality teachers with friendly personalities who care for their students, creating the aura of a really amazing Aria family!” she effused. “I am so thankful to Aria Ballroom and to my family for helping me to keep enjoying dancing!”
Well, needless to say, we are just as thankful to have such a wonderful student as Etsuko. She is always so positive and so excited to just keep learning, And for someone who started dancing at the age of 60, she is a wonderful example to anyone out there who might think they’re too old to start learning a new skill. She is such a role model!
She is also a new grandma! Her daughter just gave birth to a beautiful baby in December of 2022, so if you get a chance to see Etsuko around the studio, make sure you congratulate her on the wonderful news.
Thank you, Etsuko, for sharing your thoughts with us!
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