JAPAN: Janet Jackson makes a surprise visit to a local dance class

Record ID: 464065

  • Title: JAPAN: Janet Jackson makes a surprise visit to a local dance class
  • Date: 17th April 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 12 YEAR-OLD DANCER SAYING: "I'm only twelve but how can I dance sexy like you Janet?"
  • Embargoed: 2nd May 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Reuters ID: LVA6FGL4PX71KOU8F2HBE9EVTDE1
  • Story Text: Pop star Janet Jackson, who has recently made headlines for her dramatic weight loss, made an unannounced visit to a dance studio in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday (April 10, 2008), which surprised a group of Japanese hip hop dancers and left them speechelss.
    "I wasn't dancing sexy at twelve so I don't know what to tell you," said Jackson, 41, when a 12 year-old dancer asked her how to dance sexy like Jackson.
    "Keep studying and practicing the way that you do.
    It'll come, it'll definitely come," Jackson added.
    Jackson, who is in Japan for album promotion, appeared in front of twenty-five hip hop dancers, age nine to twenty-six, during their rehersal time at the dance studio. Young Jackson fans screamed and jumped up in astonishment while the pop queen walked across the room.
    "I was really surprised! I'm just really happy right now!"
    said 15 year-old Banesa Ueno still shaking in excitement.
    Young dancers also surprised Jackson by perfoming her big hit single "Feedback" dance rountines. They spent over a week practicing the dance moves to perfection.
    "I'm the youngest dancer on my team so it was really hard for me to keep up with the rest but I tried hard knowing that Janet is watching!" 9 year-old dancer Nao Motohashi told Reuters.
    Jackson recently occupied the No. 1 spot on the U.S. pop album chart and the No.9 spot on the Japanese music chart in March with her latest release "Discipline." The album, released on February 27, marked Jackson's 10th studio disc and also her debut release for Island Def Jam, which she joined last February from Virgin Records.
    The lead single "Feedback" has been a successful radio and club tune, and became Jackson's first top-10 hit since "Someone to Call My Lover," which peaked at No.3 in 2001.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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