Building Community Through Dance - Eri Chikusa

Whether it’s dance, design, art history, colors, or coffee (the list goes on) you can pretty much talk to Eri about, well, anything. A forewarning to all wallflowers who may think they can fly under the radar — she only needs to see you twice to recognize your face, and maybe three times to go in for a hug. If one thing is true, it’s that nobody feels alone when they’re around Eri Chikusa. 

Since moving to California from Japan in 2016, Eri has created quite the community along the West Coast. She spent four years studying dance in San Diego, training with dance team Choreo Cookies, and learning under the direct mentorship of Keone and Mari Madrid. After having to move back to Japan when the pandemic hit, she returned to SoCal in 2022 ready to rebuild her dance career in Los Angeles.

Eri began teaching at Rūts Dance Studio that summer and has since become well known for her unique and sought-after choreography, as well as her hours-long hang sessions after class. In addition to simply loving human connection, she chooses to facilitate community building due to the nature of the dance industry. 

“Going from Japan to the States, I thought it was going to be as easy as ‘just dancing’ but it wasn’t. Yes, you can be good at dancing, but you need to be able to communicate and connect with people in order to get the job.” 

She emphasizes how important it is to speak the language and learn the culture of the place you’re moving to, and how she learned a hard, but necessary lesson that dance skills can only go so far — especially when a big aspect of the industry is building trust with others. 

“That’s the most exciting part about Rūts, people actually talk! [We’re all] just human and I want people to remember that.”

Eri’s favorite aspect of teaching is watching students grow, and she believes that authentic growth happens in a space where people feel safe to make mistakes. To Eri, seeing the struggle while seeing the fun is incredibly fulfilling to witness. While she knows people come to class to dance, she emphasizes that people stick around because of the connection and camaraderie that comes along with it. For her, dance is a tool to connect with people, and Rūts has been the ideal place to teach authentically and grow within an already close-knit community.

“It’s super cliché to say, but I realized I just have to be myself instead of pretending to be someone else… and that's when people start to accept you. Be open-minded, be authentic, and stay true to yourself.” 

Another life lesson from Eri? Pouring into yourself only makes you a better dancer! A second major lesson she learned from pursuing a career in the arts is that the more she focused on growing as an individual, the more her art has grown along the way. She goes on to paint a picture of how she pulls inspiration from her everyday joys — like coffee, colors, and designs — and puts them into her choreography. 

“Invest in you, find what you like! Getting a richer perspective and learning about yourself is so important. I would love to tell my younger self, ‘Hey, you’ll be there’ because sometimes you just need to sit back and enjoy the journey.”

Whether it’s a quick two-minute chat or an in-depth 40-minute conversation, Eri’s warmth shines through, and it’s a big reason why her classes have such a loyal following. 

If you feel like you just had a sit-down therapy session with a best friend, there’s more of where that came from every Wednesday at 7:30pm at Rūts. 

What’s on the come up? 

Enjoying it all, finding time for friends between busy schedules, and taking everything day by day. ❤️

Where can you find Eri?

Don’t miss her regular class at Rūts Dance Studio on Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Catch her touring in Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before show for the next 2 years! 

Find her on IG: @eri_chikusa

Interviewed and Written By:

Lexi Novak -Rūts Dance Studio