Who is Taka?

Takayuki Hayashi, as is called Taka in Europe, is currently a MA student in Traditional Irish Dance Performance at University of Limerick,
Born in 1973 in Japan, Japanese parents, he never danced until the age of 28.
The dramatic turnaround in economics graduate and IT consultant's life came when he went to see the Riverdance in his native Tokyo at 2000.
It didn't only thrill him but also made him feel like he is a born dancer.

After another year of saving money which seems enough to challenge to be a professional dancer,
he gave up his career, home and family to learn Irish dancing in Ireland with hardly a word of English.
It was Nov 2001.

When he arrived in Ireland, he tried to find the school of Irish dancing but it was very difficult.
Because it was considered too late to start competing for the 28-year-old adult beginner.
Every teacher he called seemed to have no interest in teaching for an adult beginner.

But he never gave up what he believed.
He taught himself by the videos and even started basking on the street.
Local Newspaper Evening Echo said, "Dance fan moved 5,000 miles to chase a dream".

After 9 months from he came to Ireland, he finally found a stepdancing workshop in Dublin, which was organized by Ronan McCormack.
He attended his workshop and that was what he had been looking for.

He was finally permitted to start learning under him from Sep 2002 and won mean grad (Intermediate Grade) in his second feis (competition) after 4 months training.
And what amazing, he was also involved in the Opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games as one of a hundred dancers of the Riverdance troupe at Jun 2003.
He continued competing and was qualified for the world championships in Leinster Region at Nov 2003.
After the world championships at 2004, he passed the rigorous audition of the MA in Traditional Irish Dance Performance at University of Limerick
with a scholorship from the Muckross house folk museum in kerry.
This time, Irish Examiner said, "Taka's dynamic dance moves sure to be big in Japan".
His journey hasn't ended yet.

Dance School:
Rinceoiri Erin (Dublin)

Teachers:
Ronan McCormack
Olive Hurley

Also one of my friends, Shane Ryan gave me lots advice as if he were real brother.
Without these three peoples, I wouldn't have been accomplished so much.
Let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude.

Taka