Sushi Zume Tokyo

I cannot express how important dreams are, those you have while you are slumbering and those that you colorfully imagine while wide eyed and fully awake.

When I arrived in Japan over 6 years ago I made an odd and fleeting connection with a stranger. I don’t remember where or how I met him but I do remember agreeing to go to see Fat Boy Slim with him. I could not speak Japanese and he seemed to have learned some random English words which he put together to form clusters of ideas that made absolutely no sense, but were entertaining none the less. Luckily this interesting stranger had numerals down pat, we got the meeting time and date right.

I was soon to make a highly anticipated adventure to AgeHa. On the day of the event I got a text message from my party informant. I don’t remember comprehending much of it but one phrase sticks in my mind – “you see diamonds in sky” At the time I thought it was a reference to a Japanese party drug, as it turns out the only stimulants being passed around were Fat Boy’s beats.

Since that night I have had countless play dates at AgeHa and loved every single second of them, dreaming to be wildly moving and shaking up on the gorgeous stages and podiums. AgeHa is a truly majestic performance space in a city of tiny dance floors and bars that seat 4 people.

As a hoop spinner I have dreamed long and hard about how they would magically light up the enormous event space. I have clear and divine images of hoopers perched on podiums in a huge circular formation, reflecting multiple LED hoops off the gigantic centered disco ball. Hooplovers as the resident AgeHa hoopers!

When Kike, my very own sparkling dream catcher, pulled me aside earlier this year and said, “I have something exciting to tell you.” “You are going to open for Duran Duran.” I was so grateful and excited. When he said, “AT AGEHA” my heart did back flips.

Driving to rehearsal yesterday I felt oddly silent, while Kike was wrangling with the GPS I was dreaming about getting up on the stage. My first time to be at AgeHa without it being packed with party goers, I was interested to stroll around. When my rehearsal time came I felt completely engulfed in the enormity of the stage and felt like one very lucky and tiny little hooper under an almighty lighting and sound system. It was exhilarating but quite honestly rendered me speechless and almost motionless. I couldn’t even pinch myself.

A gorgeously warm day and we, Kike our director, Anthony the stylist, 6 dancers, 5 make up artists, 2 models, 2 hostesses and 1 hooper were crammed into the back stage make up and fitting rooms. It was a long day, made so blissful by the fact we were all there together, one big glitter clad family. The make up artists transformed us, Kike kept us on our toes and before long the show was under way.

The dancers wowed the crowd with podium extravaganzas and an 80s themed cheer leading number to Oh Mickey then Simply Irresistible. Not long before I was about to perform Duran Duran hustled in the back door, I accidently bumped into one of them and Simon Le Bon said hello (I didn’t meet them but they sounded amazing and the crowd adored them)

In no time I was waiting just behind the stage left curtain, LED hoops flickering and excitement pulsing through veins. The beats from my first track kicked in, a remix of Heaven is a Place on Earth, and suddenly I was center stage with two hoops and a huge crowd of people looking up at me. What else was I to do, I had FUN!

What happened next was one of those unexpected rewards that are gifted as a reminder of why we do what we do. As Duran Duran played I put on my next costume, a black coat over the top I strolled out into the crowd. Such wonderful and positive feedback came my way, I felt so appreciative. Then as I was standing alone towards the back of the crowd a smiling woman came hurtling towards me, she thanked me sweetly and said, “I just love what you do, my daughter has a picture of you stuck to her desk.” In that moment I felt truly grateful for the gifts that I have been given to share.

Duran Duran finished with Rio and my beats kicked straight in. This time was Girls Just Want to Have Fun, I playfully spun the hoops on top of a huge rubix cube podium. Fun is exactly what I had.

And peering out through my crystal clad lashes and holographic glitter covering, I saw diamonds in the sky.

Check out Mai’s party report here.