Today we’d like to introduce you to Sumi Oshima.
Hi Sumi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Kanagawa city Japan. When I was in junior high school, I was a troublemaker. I couldn’t go to regular high school because I didn’t have good grades/deviation values. My behavior wasn’t great at the time, and my mom was worried about my future. I was planning to be a construction worker after I graduate my junior high, but my mom really wanted me to go to high school, so she found this dance high school called “Vaw Eikoh High School” in Tokyo.
At the time, the school was newer, so you didn’t need good grades. I completed my interview, submitted an essay, and I was accepted.
I didn’t have dream or passion for anything before, but then I met dance.
Dance was something that I could be passionate about. I became focused and started changing my behavior.
Now I’m in LA and work as a professional dancer, continuing to follow my dreams.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a child, I grew up with domestic violence. I was a victim of physical violence and got lots of bruises every day. There was a time where I was grabbed by hair and dragged down the stairs from 2nd floor to 1st floor. My back skin was peeling off and bleeding. My back scraped the stairs while I was dragged away.
But I’ve never hated the perpetrator, even though the memory I have of him is mostly abusing me. I understood that he is human. Every time he abused me, I thought “What happened to him that he became like this? Why is he angry at himself?”
I knew that his anger isn’t towards me, but himself, and I was hoping that he saw it and fixed it for himself. Even though I experienced so much pain physically and mentally, I believed that I chose my family before I was born. Growing up was like an exam test for myself, and I made sure I always passed it.
It’s one of the reasons why I became a troublemaker. I wanted to prove to myself that I am still strong.
Since I started dancing in high school, it was a tough start. All the other students had been dancing since they were little. They knew the foundation and basics before they even began, but I was struggling to even understand rhythm. That was the first time I felt frustrated. I cried every day, but it motivated me to be better and better.
I didn’t even know dance had different styles. All I knew was HIPHOP and JAZZ. But I had to learn HIPHOP, JAZZ, LOCKING, HOUSE, and POPPIN.
When I saw popping for the first time, I thought “How did they do that? It looks super difficult I don’t think I can do it.” But POPPING was the most attractive and cool style to me. I threw myself in full force and dedicated myself to becoming the best popper I could be. I was still training other styles in school, but I started training with poppers outside of school as well. Every night after dance school was over, I trained for 6 more hours, from midnight to 6am. Then I would go back to school after that without sleeping. It was super tough, but I really enjoying doing that. I could see that I was getting better and better, and I started to feel more confident in my dance.
When I was 18, I entered my first dance battle, and people started to get to know me.
That’s how I got into the dance community in Japan.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I moved to Los Angels at the end of 2014. I was 22. Since I moved here, I have done lots of industry jobs. The most memorable jobs I have done were for Justin Timberlake’s Music Video for “Filthy”, and So You Think You Can Dance Season 16 when I made it to the top 20.
I got an email from my agency, and they told me to go an audition. I assumed that it was a freestyle audition, so I went there in a t-shirt, sweatpants, and shoes. When I got there, all of the other ladies auditioning were wearing all-black outfits with heels. I thought I was at the wrong audition for a second, but I realized I was in the right one. I felt so ashamed wearing only street dance clothes, but my intuition told me to try it anyways and challenge myself.
I had to learn choreography that I am not used to learning. Other dancers were catching on very quickly. You could definitely tell that I was not the best, but I had weird confidence of this situation inside myself. We didn’t know who the artist was we were dancing for, and I was hoping that was either Bruno Mars or Justin Timberlake.
We finished audition and went home. Later, my agent emailed me and said that I was BOOKED for JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!! I was so happy and thankful to myself that I believed my intuition.
I have also worked with Meghan Trainer, Sza, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Big Sean, Young Thug, and many more. All of the artists I have worked with have been super sweet to me.
I am most known for street dance culture especially in dance battles. But luckily, I have done many different kinds of jobs, so people know me in many different ways.
I always feel that I am different and weird in a good way. When I was little, no one told me about angels, fairies, or any kind of spirits. But I knew that they existed.
I always talk to trees, flowers, butterflies, and the wind when I am alone. I felt that nature is always part of my body and soul. When I talk to people, I see their visions in my head. I thought this was imagination at first. I can see some people’s vision very clearly, and some others I don’t; it depends on the person.
But I slowly understood that this is not my imagination. So I started telling people what I saw. And I realized that I have some special things in me that I can read people. Sometimes, I do spiritual counseling for people online. Not just reading them but guiding them toward what they really want to do and who they really are.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Making a habit of communicating with yourself is very important. Today, many people feel depressed or have anxiety. It’s important to understand why you feel that way. Mostly people think it comes from work, relationships, financials, & health. But it’s always coming from inside of you. The fastest way to know the answer is to communicate with yourself every day and every second. You may feel like you know about yourself, but if you haven’t been communicating with yourself well, you might surprised what you’re really thinking and feeling in your soul.
Where do you want to be?
Who do you want to become?
What do you like to do most?
What makes you happy?
Who do you want to be with?
Do you like your job?
If you remove your ego, what do you really want do for your life?
We are here to enjoy and be in the moment. But we tend about the past or the future, even though they do not exist…
Do your best with your passion and happiness, but not with your ego. I am here writing this because I want everyone who reads this to know that you are amazing already. Believe in yourself, love yourself, have a confidence in yourself, and just enjoy whatever you like to do. And even you don’t feel like it, that’s okay. Just accept all of your feeling because you are your friend. Not enemy.
This is your life, and you can create anything you want to see in your life.
Have fun with your wonderful life!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sumioshima/
Image Credits
All photos by Cody Burkheard expect the one of picture that I am wearing pinkish sporty jacket and closing my eyes.
