[APLOM CAREER] Special interview with Shoko Nakamura
Good evening everyone. I am Ohno, CEO of BACKSTAGE PRODUCTS Co., Ltd.
"I get anxious when I think about my career after ballet."
"I feel like my career options are limited because I've only ever done ballet."
I'm sure there are many dancers who have this problem.
Even in the glamorous world of ballet, only a handful can make it to the top. Even if you are active as a ballet dancer, there is always the risk of injury or dismissal. In addition, for women, changes in life stages such as marriage and childbirth have a big impact, and the worries are endless.
Based on our corporate philosophy of "Bringing the art of ballet closer to you," APLOM also supports ballet dancers in their second careers. This time, we interviewed Nakamura Shoko, who competed at the Prix de Lausanne and worked for some of the world's top ballet companies, and is now a freelance dancer. Nakamura Shoko wants to use her experience to pass it on to the next generation of dancers, so we spoke to her about the issue of second careers for ballet dancers and her outlook for the future.
Shoko Nakamura's Instagram
▶︎Having survived the tough world of ballet, she is able to use that experience to discover new possibilities.
-Please tell us what inspired you to start ballet and your career so far.
I started ballet when my parents found me a ballet class because they wanted me to grow up to be a beautiful young woman. I participated in the Prix de Lausanne when I was 16, and received a scholarship to study at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart.
After studying abroad, I wanted to become a trainee at the Stuttgart Ballet, but I got injured soon after, and after surgery I had to go round for auditions again. After that, I danced as a principal at the Vienna State Opera Ballet, the Berlin State Ballet, the Hungarian State Ballet, and K-BALLET COMPANY (now K-BALLET TOKYO), but now I work as a freelance dancer.
-Looking back on your career, how do you feel now?
Now that I'm a freelance dancer, the range of things I want to do has expanded.
I would like to create things that give shape to my ideas, but as for ballet, I would like to connect the experience I have cultivated up until now to dancers and pass it on to them, and I would also like to create an environment where dancers can receive care and develop their bodies.
I hope that by creating this kind of environment in Japan, dancers will be able to face themselves comfortably and take on further challenges.
Dancers work hard in a really tough world, but that doesn't mean they can keep it up forever, and at some point they will each start thinking about a second career.
I believe that if there was an environment where people with such concerns could be given hints and advice, it would be the catalyst for them to take a new step.
Dancers overseas may also be able to receive support from their country for their second careers.
I believe that if there were an environment in Japan that provided solid support for second careers, everyone's dreams would expand.
We want to provide a form of career support that connects everyone together to the next generation.
About APLOM
When I first heard about it, I strongly felt that having a place like this for career support would encourage many dancers and give them the opportunity to take the next step. I thought it would be a place where light could be seen from nothing and new paths could be opened, and I felt that it would be an environment where I could learn and grow as well. I think that by joining forces with people who share the same feelings as me, we will be able to support dancers who are worried about their careers, so I am very much looking forward to it!
You can find out more about Nakamura's career on YouTube.
Please take a look!
We will also be interviewing many dancers about their careers in the future, so please subscribe to our channel!
APLOM Career provides career support utilizing ballet experience!
We offer a wide range of services, from helping people who wanted to become professionals but gave up, to helping them find employment in a company using their past ballet experience, to supporting top dancers in their second careers.
We offer free career consultations with our career advisors or CEO Ohno at any time for anyone, from children to parents, regardless of age or gender, so please feel free to contact us via APLOM CAREER's official Instagram or official LINE!