Aguyoshi’s Funny Tokyo Street Dances

Aguyoshi is a very peculiar dance duo. You may have seen some of their intriguing, poetic, and funny videos on social media, especially on Twitter and Instagram.

Formed by contemporary dancers Aisa Shirai and KEKE, the duo explores the streets of Japan (mainly in the wider Tokyo area), letting the places’ shapes and rhythms influence the choreography, which is almost improvised on-site.

Read on to discover the origins of their project and dance styles, the hidden messages it conveys, and get conquered by the spirit of “moyayoshi!”

The Origins of the “Moyayoshi” Dance

Rather than expressing our feelings or purpose, we wanted to represent our bodies as things influenced by their surroundings.

When people hear the word “dance,” I think most of them picture dancing at events, festivals, or on stages. What made you choose the unusual form of dancing on the street and posting it on SNS?

Aisa: Our dance genre is contemporary dance, which can be seen in many forms, but is mostly performed on stage. Aguyoshi was born in 2016, and during the first two years, we made art to be performed on stage too. We started walking and dancing in the streets as part of research and learning. With time, that aspect became the main one.