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Staff Profile

Yoshi Yano

JSDC President / JSDC Tokyo Instructor

JSDC President/Instructor Yoshi YanoYoshi Yano had been living in NY for 23 years. As a member of American Ballroom Theater, the only ballroom dance company in the States, he had performed in the States, Japan and Europe as a part of various NY dance teams and musical troupes.

After teaching New Yorkers from all around the world the fun of social dance for 9 years, he moved to Tokyo and opend JSDC Tokyo in 2003. He also organizes annual workshops in Japan to introduce American ballroom dance culture.

Yoshi currently teaches at various venues including “Theater Shiki (four seasons)”.

Yoshi Yano Profile

Miki Shimizu

JSDC Tokyo Instructor / JSDT Member

JSDC Tokyo Instructor Miki ShimizuMiki started learning Japanese traditional dance (Nichibu) and ballet since she was young. After college, she took up jazz dance, tap dance, and theater arts.

After working for TV shows and theater productions, she worked as a show producer, choreographer, and dance instructor at Space World theme park during their start-up. Around this time, she began an annual visit to New York, where she attends classes to enhance her theatre arts expertise.

In 2001, she started her dance company Dance Bug where she teaches numerous teenagers and adults including professional dancers and actors.

She is also teaching dance and bodywork to children at Seijo Baton Club, leading the team to win national championship and the top list at an international competition.

Yukimichi Ogura

JSDC Tokyo Instructor / JSDT Member

JSDC Tokyo Instructor Miki Shimizu

Yukimichi has been in Jazz dancing field for 7 years. He has much experience in performing on stage and TV (drama, CM) and is an involved JSDT member, performing at JSDC parties and events since 2005. He also plays a part in our forthcoming lesson DVD.

Sachiyo Shikama

JSDC Tokyo Instructor / JSDT Member

JSDC Tokyo Instructor Sachiyo Shikama

Sachiyo started learning classic & modern ballet when she was only 3 years old. She got interested in jazz style when she was in school, then performed professionally at theaters and on major TV shows. As a member of JSDT, her performance has been featured at parties and web site of well-established corporation.

Yutaka Amano

JSDC Tokyo Instructor

JSDC Tokyo Instructor Yutaka Amano

As a student, Yutaka was a highly successful gymnastics athlete who were a top-ranked regular at interscholastic and national competitions. After graduation, he took up various styles of dances including ballet, modern, jazz, and street dance. He performed on stage at many ballet, contemporary dance, opera, and musical shows.

He then went on to study abroad in NYC to learn more – this time salsa, Argentine tango, and ballroom dance. He has been perusing a career as a professional instructor and performer since coming back to Japan.

Koji Shibazaki

JSDC Fukuoka Director

JSDC Fukuoka Director Koji Shibazaki

Koji learned vocal methods, acting, singing, western style dance, classical Japanese dance, and theatrical combat (swordfight) at an acting school. After graduating Fukuoka University, he studied dance in NY. While going to a number of Broadway musicals, he took lessons at Alvin Ailey Dance School (modern dance) and Broadway Dance Center (jazz dance and stage dance).

He was an American style social dance student at JSDC Tokyo from 2004. He has performed and choreographed many TV commercials, thesaterical shows and dance shows.

Keiko Zaizen

JSDC Fukuoka Instructor

JSDC Fukuoka Instructor Keiko Zaizen

Keiko has 17 years of social dance and 14 years of flamenco experience. Since she started figure skating at the age of four, she has mastered jazz dance, latin dance, flamenco as well as social dance. She has been actively involved in a volunteer group where she visits hospitals and daycares as a member of their flamenco team. She had taught and been on a stage with physically handicapped dancers on a wheelchair.
Keiko is a member of All Nippon Association of Dance.