Yumiko Takeshima, Part 2: The discipline of rest, a secret to creative longevity

“Let it happen”

 

How we overcome toughness with the idea of “let it happen” and by following our curiosity (1:32), new moms multi-tasking work and baby (8:24), Yumi shares about sleep, time by herself and reading comics (17:32)

 

Hosts: Cherice Barton and Shelly Hutchinson  

Guest: Yumiko Takeshima

Producer: Jessica O’Keefe, Breatheasy Productions

 

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Extended  Summary : 

In this inspiring conversation, Che sits down with dancer, designer, and entrepreneur Yumiko Takeshima to explore the delicate balance between motherhood, creativity, and career longevity. Yumiko shares her journey of building a global dancewear brand while raising a family, reflecting on the importance of setting healthy boundaries, carving out time for self-care, and learning to say no without guilt. Together, they dive into the evolving definitions of success, the courage it takes to slow down in a fast-paced world, and the power of community in sustaining both artistic and personal growth. This honest and heart-centered discussion offers wisdom for anyone navigating the complexities of motherhood, creative life, and self-preservation

Born in Asahikawa, Japan, to parents who owned a small Kimono business, Takeshima began dancing at the age of four in Sapporo, Japan. At the age of 14 she left home to study ballet with Miharu Ishikawa and the San Francisco Ballet. She was a solo dancer with Universal Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Feld Ballet NY, Dutch National Ballet and the Dresden Semperoper Ballet. Yumiko Takeshima was awarded the gold medal at the Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in 1996. 

 

In early 2002 she launched YUMIKO dancewear and the YumiGirl Network. Her dancewear was also used in the 2010 film "Black Swan", among others. 

 

Since 2002, Takeshima has continued to develop her made-to-order line, as well as a ready-to-wear line, of high quality, great fitting, and beautifully designed dance and fitness wear for women and men. In addition, since moving to Amsterdam, Netherlands, Takeshima has designed costumes for numerous choreographers, most notably David Dawson and William Forsythe and has been praised in the press not only as a dancer, but also for designing some of the most elegant, simple, and aesthetically beautiful dance costumes in the European dance world. Some costumes Yumi has designed for include:

The Human Seasons (2013) David Dawson for the Royal Ballet
Opus.11 (2013) David Dawson for the Semperoper Ballett
5 (2013) David Dawson for the Semperoper Ballett
Overture (2013) David Dawson for the Dutch National Ballet
day4 (2012) David Dawson for the Dutch National Ballet
Apollo (2012) George Balanchine for the Semperoper Ballett
Dido & Aeneas/DnA (2012) Darrel Toulon for Opera Graz
Bach, Handel, Berio Pas de Deux (2012) William Forsythe for the Semperoper Ballett
Killer Sweet (2012) Jorma Elo for the Royal Ballet of Flanders
Run For It (2012) Martin Lawrance for the Scottish Ballet
timelapse/ (Mnemosyne) (2011) David Dawson for the Dutch National Ballet
Golden Partita (2011) Jorma Elo for the Basel Ballet Switzerland

Kings 2 Ends (2011) Jorma Elo for the Scottish Ballet
A Sweet Spell of Oblivion (2010) David Dawson for the Semperoper Ballett (re-design)
dancingmadlybackwards (2010) David Dawson for the Norwegian National Ballet
The Third Light (2010) David Dawson for the Royal Ballet of Flanders
Red in 3 (2010) Jorma Elo for the Scottish Ballet
Faun(e) (2009) David Dawson for the English National Ballet
The World According to Us (2009) David Dawson for the Semperoper Ballett
Suit Murder (2008) Jorma Elo for the Finnish National Ballet
Giselle (2008) David Dawson for the Semperoper Ballett
On the Nature of Daylight (2007) David Dawson for the Semperoper Ballett
A Million Kisses to my Skin (2007) David Dawson for the English National Ballet (re-design)
The Second Detail (2007) William Forsythe for the Semperoper Ballett
A Sweet Spell of Oblivion (2007) David Dawson for the Royal Ballet of Flanders
The Disappeared (2006) David Dawson for the Semperoper Ballett
The Gentle Chapters (2006) David Dawson for the Dutch National Ballet
Reverence (2005) David Dawson for the Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet
Solitaire (2004) Annabel Lopez Ochoa for the Dutch National Ballet
Morning Ground (2004) David Dawson for the Dutch National Ballet
00:00 (2004) David Dawson for the Dutch National Ballet
The Grey Area (2002) David Dawson for the Dutch National Ballet

A Million Kisses to my Skin (2000) David Dawson for the Dutch National Ballet

 

Yumiko Takeshima has danced the principal roles in all of the classical repertoire as well as the choreographies by J. Cranko, J. Neumeier, H. Lander, B. Cullberg, F. Ashton, W. Eagling, T. Tharp, R. van Dantzig, G. Balanchine, H. van Manen, C. Bruce, P. Lacotte, A. Messerer, J. Kylian, W. Forsythe, M. Graham, D. Dawson and many others. She created roles in Giselle, Psychic Whack, A Million Kisses to my Skin, The Grey Area, 00:00, Morning Ground, The Gentle Chapters, Das Verschwundene | The Disappeared; On the Nature of Daylight;  The World According to Us ( all - D. Dawson); Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni, Voice, Derde Symfonie (K. Pastor); Frank Bridge Variations; Six Piano Pieces (H. van Manen); Solitaire (A. L. Ochoa); Meditation & Variation on La Sylphide (D. Byrd); Subliminal Instant, Spazio Tempo (J. Godani); Even The Angels Fall (Redha); Access all Areas (Redha, A. Page); La Fille mal Gardée, Endymion Variations (R. Tobias); Spiegels Bevriezend (T. Van Schayk).

Yumiko Takeshima was featured in The Grey Area In Creation/ D. Dawson (Documentary – 2004) the Dutch National Ballet (Amsterdam); Kinno A-Sama, Ginno A-Sama (Documentary-2006) Japan TV; Giselle, fritten-film (Germany, 2008)