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OPEN END-O | |
 Ellen Endo |
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“We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” Socrates, the Greek philosopher who lived during the 4th century B.C., didn’t learn to dance until he was 70 years old. He did so because he felt that an essential part of his personal development had been neglected. Watching Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi strut her stuff with grace and joy on “Dancing with the Stars” is unquestionably more entertaining than imagining Socrates’ early dance steps, but his point is well taken. There’s something about dancing that transcends logic yet has its place in a world that sometimes takes itself too seriously. The idea of an Olympian dominating a dance competition would have most certainly met with Socrates’ approval. Let’s not forget, too, that a young man named after the mythical god of poetry and music—Apolo Ohno—won the same competition a year ago. Kristi took our collective breath away in 1992 when she skated into the record books, becoming the first person of Asian descent to win an Olympic Gold Medal in skating and the first American to win the Gold since Dorothy Hamill in 1976. Last Monday, she added another title to her growing list of laurels. She became the first celebrity to score a perfect 10 this season on “Dancing…” It should come as no surprise that the same discipline and determination that lifted her to the highest level of her sport in the 90s also seems to be driving her to the top of the heap among the celebrity dancers. Add to this the fact that, like Ginger Rodgers who danced with Fred Astaire, she did everything her partner did, but she did it backwards and in high heels. As Yamaguchi consistently scored highest week after week, comedian Adam Carolla joked that Yamaguchi was “cheating” because of her background as an Olympic skater. A news commentator immediately reminded Carolla that the skater’s Olympian days were 16 years ago and that, since then, she’s had two children—Keara Kiyomi, 4, and Emma Yoshiko, 2. Kristi and her husband, National Hockey League star Bret Hedican of the Carolina Hurricanes, live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Yamaguchi, 36, is a Sansei. She was born in Hayward, California and grew up in Fremont. We learned on Monday night’s “Dancing with the Stars” that she began skating as a child as physical therapy for her club feet. She spent early years with both legs in casts and walking on crutches, making her athletic achievements that much more remarkable. “Work like you don’t need the money, love like your heart has never been broken, and dance like no one is watching.” –Aurora Greenway, fictional character in Larry McMurtry’s “Terms of Endearment” Okay, several million people are watching Kristi, but fortunately she’s accustomed to the spotlight. === A few weekends ago, there was an event that made me proud to be Japanese. On Saturday, April 19, I attended the fashion show produced annually in Anaheim by the So-Phis. There’s something noble about an organization that exists only to help others. They hold events, raise money, then give the money to others. This year marks their 50th anniversary. We need more groups like So-Phis but, sadly, their selfless mission is quickly becoming a lost art. Saturday night I drove across town to Century City for the Japanese American National Museum’s gala dinner. Newly anointed chief executive officer Akemi Kikumura promised a moving experience as they observed the 20th anniversary of the signing of HR 442, the Congressional bill that awarded redress payments to those who had been confined in internment camps during World War II. Akemi didn’t disappoint. Having attended many of the JANM dinners over the years, I have to admit that the word “ponderous” occasionally came to mind. This time, however, the dinner organizers got it right. The program was a fitting tribute to the struggle for redress and included appearances by individuals like Senator Daniel K. Inouye, former Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta, and corum nobis attorneys who helped bring to the public’s attention the injustice visited upon Japanese American internees. Dinner co-chairs Gene Kanamori and Tracey Doi would be the first to insist that it was a team effort, but kudos to both of them for picking the right team. ===
“To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.” |
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