East Meets West
May 13, 2009
By Michael Reed
Within the past week, Pride of Cincinnati, one of WGI’s most successful guards, made many people happy with their announced return for the 2010 season after a year of inactivity. While it may not be a surprise that several Pride members kept the competitive fires burning by marching in other units during this one year hiatus, what is not so well known is which unit they marched with. While one may reasonably guess fellow Ohio guards, the correct answer would be arguably the most popular group in all of WGI: Aimachi from Nagoya, Japan.
The idea is not as far-fetched as it may seem. The two guards share four staff members, and several Aimachi members have marched with Pride in past seasons. WGI Hall of Fame designer Michael Gaines has written for both groups for over a decade. Last May, after Pride had announced they were taking the 2009 season off, across the Pacific Ocean the staff of Aimachi were considering doing the same thing. Gaines had a “light bulb moment” and spoke with an Aimachi staff member about the possibility of several Pride members spending a season in Japan as a part of the group. In a striking coincidence, he received a letter at about the same time from Kiyokazu Sekine, Aimachi’s Director, posing the same idea.
Gaines explained how he approached the show design for the blended group: “The one thing I wanted to be careful about was to keep Aimachi’s identity intact. I did not want it to be a Pride/Aimachi hybrid, but I did want Aimachi to come back with a fresh look. Since Pride would not be having a guard in 2009, I wanted to give the first chance to members of Pride 2008. I also thought the addition of the male performers would add a presence and some design options that would be beneficial.”
Six men who were a part of Pride’s 2008 cast were offered a chance to be a part of Aimachi for the 2009 season. Considering this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the sextet said “Yes!”, and the end result was last month’s bronze medal finish in the Independent World division, thunderous standing ovations every time they took the floor, and memories that will be a permanent treasure in their hearts.
This was not the first time a group of Americans have marched with Aimachi. In 2008, several Americans marched in their drum line’s “Drum Roll” show, and some have also participated with their marching band. In order to get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a member of Aimachi, WGI spoke with Pride members Travis Speice and Tyler Teran about their experiences this winter.
Last May, after Pride announced they would be inactive for the 2009 season, the men received a phone call from Michael Gaines. The call would mark the start of the most memorable year of their lives. After accepting the invitation spend a winter in Japan and march with the group, the logistical details of when they would get there and where they would live were worked out.
Both men were aware of just how special this opportunity was. Teran stated “There were two places I told people that I wanted to march: Pride and Aimachi. They get a standing ovation before they even pull the floor out. Who wouldn't be interested in something like that?” while Speice noted “No one else had done anything like that before! Plus, I'd get to be a part of WGI history - one of six American guys that got to perform with one of WGI's favorite colorguards!”
After an abbreviated Christmas holiday, the men were scheduled to fly to Japan on Friday, December 26, 2008. Due to an unplanned delay, three of the men had to catch a flight the next day. By Sunday the 28th, all six were safely on the ground halfway around the world engaged in culture shock and adjusting body clocks.
It didn’t take long for the guys to get immersed in Japanese culture. On their first full day there, the members of the Aimachi church were preparing for a festival. The young men made themselves useful by jumping in and helping prepare mochi (a dough made of rice). The men learned firsthand important Japanese customs such as bowing when greeting someone, and taking shoes off when indoors. The diet was also different than a typical American diet, as the men ate lots of fish and sea weed, along with rice at almost every meal.
Aimachi utilizes a different rehearsal schedule than most independent American groups. During the week they rehearse from 8-10:30 five days a week, and on weekends from 10 am to 10 pm if American staff were there or 1pm to 10 pm without visiting American staff members.
While some things were identical to what the members were used to (stretching, dance and equipment warm-ups, and run throughs at the end of rehearsal), one thing that was both new and valuable to the members was breaking up into pairs and running through sections of the show. One person would watch their partner and give pointers, then vice versa. Speice noted that the Pride boys would team up with Japanese members, which made communication a bit interesting (since none of the six speak Japanese), yet also fun at the same time.
Although rehearsing almost every day, the men did get to do quite a bit of sightseeing. Among the highlights were excursions to Osaka and Tokyo (which included visiting the Disney Sea and seeing Zed, a Cirque show playing in Japan). In addition to spending time in large cities, the guys got a chance to take in some of the natural beauty of the island. Mt. Fuji made an impression on both Teran and Speice, who said the standing next to the mountain was breathtaking. Teran also mentioned enjoying Deer Park in Kyoto, where deer roam around and let tourists feed them by hand.
After three months of learning and perfecting the show, it was time to head home for World Championships. The guard arrived in the states a week before Championships. Taking advantage of local circuit championships and organized exhibitions, Aimachi performed at the Tri State circuit Championships in Kentucky, and in Carmel, IN and Centerville, OH to get an opportunity to present “Beloved” in front of an audience before their WGI prelim performance.
The rest, as they say, is history. All who were in UD Arena for Independent World finals will remember the standing ovation when the unit walked onto the floor to set up. Despite years of performing and Gold Medals won with Pride of Cincinnati, the audience reaction was an exciting new thrill for the men. The feeling on the floor was best summed up by Teran: “You could just feel the arena wanting us to be great. I have never experienced anything like that finals audience, it was so incredibly loud. All I can say is that it was amazing!”
Gaines also was impressed with the magical atmosphere the group created. “Honestly, it was one of my favorite productions in which I have been involved. The whole experience was amazing, and it was simply one of the most talented and most unique ensembles that I have ever witnessed. I will cherish the "Beloved" show as one of my favorites.”
Now that the boys are back in the normal swing of life here at home, what did the time in Japan mean to them? Besides memories of sites visited, perhaps the most enduring memory will be the friendships formed. Teran mentioned Yoshie, one of the Japanese staff members who was like their Japanese mother, and Hatsue, who served as the unofficial translator, and of course their fellow performers. Speice stated “There are too many to talk about! From the members, the Japanese staff, the members of the church, the people that cooked food for us, the marching band members - they were all really excited for us to be there. I miss them all already!”
For the majority of WGI fans who will never visit Japan and see Aimachi on their home turf, what does Aimachi mean to people who have lived and worked with this phenomenally talented group? The common theme can be summed up in one word: Family. Teran stated “Aimachi is a place of worship, a place of performance, and a place of family.” ‘Speice echoed “Its family. Once you're 'Aimachi', you'll always be 'Aimachi'”.
Finally, for Gaines, who has been involved with Aimachi longer than any American, they have also become a second family. “Aimachi is my family. It really does come down to that. I have been going over a few times per year for about 16 years now, and have watched those performers grow up from little girls into the beautiful, most talented women I know. I am also close with many of their families, and I treasure my time with them. When I go over to teach Aimachi, it does not feel like a job to me. It is like a second home. In fact, upon my arrival, I am often greeted with the words "welcome home."
View Past Featured Stories>
