Mao Asada and Yuta Nakatsukasa Dance With 172 Kids at Michael Jackson Event
The event uses a major Hollywood biopic's promotional campaign to connect two Japanese performers from different disciplines-figure skating and dance-with a new generation of dancers, framing Jackson's legacy as a cross-generational teaching tool.
Reporting from 1 sources: Eiga Natalie.
A special kids dance session was held on May 31 at EBiS303 in Tokyo to celebrate the release of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael／マイケル." Figure skater Mao Asada and GENERATIONS dancer Yuta Nakatsukasa appeared as guests. The two performed a dance to Jackson's "Beat It" alongside 172 child dancers. Asada said she has long wanted to skate to a Michael Jackson song but held back because of his stature as a global dancer. She added that she might be better at the moonwalk on ice. Nakatsukasa called Jackson a god and said he would name him as the person he most wants to meet. He cited Jackson's skill at singing in a large stadium without in-ear monitors as something he learns from. Both praised Jaafar Jackson, the director Antoine Fuqua's nephew who plays the lead role. Asada said she was most surprised by his voice, calling it a miracle that an actor could look so much like the real Jackson. Nakatsukasa said DNA is incredible and that he felt Jackson himself appeared in the latter half of the film. The movie opens in Japanese theaters on June 12.
The session was part of a broader push to pass the appeal of Jackson's music and dance to the next generation. Asada and Nakatsukasa each named a favorite Jackson song: Asada chose "Heal the World" for its gentle melody and message of world peace, while Nakatsukasa picked "Jam," which he practiced repeatedly as a child when he started dancing in elementary school. Both guests had already seen the film early. Asada emphasized that Jaafar Jackson's performance is so convincing it feels like a miracle, and Nakatsukasa noted that the actor's respect for his uncle comes through in his acting, especially in the film's second half. The event drew 172 young participants, making it a large-scale live dance showcase tied to the film's June 12 nationwide release in Japan.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Eiga Natalie 「Michael／マイケル」浅田真央＆中務裕太がキッズダンサーたちとダンスセッション