The feeling of salary turning to dancing

As people age, we often find ourselves with more and more excuses not to try new things. Maybe it’s bad knees, stiff back or just a routine attraction – with age, there are many reasons to stay still.

From absolute circumstances, Toru utsumi is not so, well-known online Toru dance. According to him, “It’s never too late to start dancing because today is the youngest day of my life.” The 59-year-old Fukuoka Prefecture local might be busy dates as a management consultant, but that doesn’t stop him from beating his heart every chance.

Tohru’s trademark lawsuit and smooth moves helped him gain a large fan base, with over half a million followers between his Instagram and Tiktok accounts. But what makes someone reach the 1960s, just like they do when they enter the golden age? On a windy night in Shibuya, I sat down with the man in person to find out the answer.

Interview with Toluo

What prompted you to start dancing?

After 50, I don’t think I have that much time in my life and want to try something new. But instead of trying something that I didn’t know at all, I thought I would try to learn to dance correctly, and I had been doing it often in disco and nightclubs when I was young. So, at the age of 52, I started taking dance classes.

Which style do you focus on?

The style of dance I practiced is called locking, but in fact, the dance I do in the video is more freestyle-or, actually, it’s Tohru Style (laughs). After a few steps, the lock itself is about the setting motion of the lock, so it’s like 1, 2, 3 locks! 1, 2, 3 locks! But my video is more like 1, 2, 3 slideshows.

Do you have any other dance styles you want to try?

The truth is, I really want to master the lock!

You gained a strong following from overseas fans. Did you initially think your dance would attract such a global audience?

In Japan, great dancers are common. I understand this and think I won’t be able to do it like that. I really didn’t expect to gain such a follower overseas.

How does it meet and dance with your followers in public?

My first time dancing with someone from overseas was at Kobe. I was traveling for business. However, he was shy and his Japanese weren’t that powerful, so we talked mainly through Google Translate. But we both danced and had a great time and I realized that even if you speak the same language, you can communicate through dance.

Are the songs you selected from the advice of your followers the song you chose? How do you choose a song?

Yes, all songs are requested! While I didn’t see every comment when I first started these days, every song request was saved in order, but the list started to get very huge. [His current spreadsheet of song requests is over 700 songs.]

You dance with many types of music. Have you found the specific type that is easiest to dance?

I love the stuff that works with locks. Soul and funk are easier to dance, especially old songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s, but most of my requests are recent hip-hop songs (laughs).

What’s the secret to staying at So Genki in your 50s?

It’s fun for me, so I think that’s what keeps me so active.

Do you have any suggestions as you get older?

Don’t give up using your age as an excuse. If you think it is impossible to do something because of your age, that will become your reality.

How do you feel when dancing?

Actually, I didn’t expect anything…I tried to appreciate how my body reacted to music.

Did you overcome the difficulty of dancing in front of others at first?

Still yes! If there are people around, I really don’t like dancing alone, I try to get out of there and go to a quiet place.

You are also part of a dance group called O’Jeys. Can you tell us more about them?

This is the seventh year that the O’Jeys Group has been operating. We are a group of older gentlemen who learn to lock in. Initially, our dance coaches encouraged us to form groups and participate in the competition. The average age of our group is 59 years old, the youngest is 48 years old, and our oldest is 71 years old.

How long are you going to dance?

There are two 71-year-olds in our group, so when I was 71, they would be 83. I still hope to be able to tell them to keep dancing at that age – so at least until I was 71!

Where to find Toshru dance

Related Articles