Minami • Ballet Dancer • S1/E1
Words, photos and video by David LamDancer from Hiroshima, Japan shares her thoughts on body image and her evolving fashion sense since moving to New York City.
Minami Ando, a ballet dancer from Hiroshima, Japan, has found a new sense of confidence in her style through vintage fashion. The 23-year-old dancer, who moved to New York City for her career, has always been passionate about ballet and finds joy in dance. "When I'm dancing, I always feel excited and happy because when I'm dancing, I really get into the character. You can forget about reality and then just be in the moment and then connect to the audience," she says.
However, as a performer, Ando often felt pressure to fit into a certain body type and conform to societal standards of beauty. "Some people think skinny is beauty," she says. "If you do ballet, you have to be skinny. So always I try to buy small size and then checking my body if I [can still] fit in that size. But that's not that right. You don't have to be fitting clothes. Clothes should fit your body."
Ando's journey to embracing her personal style and body confidence began when she moved to the United States. In Japan, she was not into fashion and would dress in simple t-shirts and jeans. "In university, everyone was so fashionable and everyone follow trends. But I was the one [who] always [wore] t-shirts and jeans, no makeup. I prefer sleep more and I was like, 'Why do I have to be fashionable?'”
However, after moving to New York, Ando discovered a new side of herself and began experimenting with her wardrobe. “Since I moved here, I met like more cool people, creative people, and I was like, 'Oh my God, I never thought about it,'" she says.
Ando's newfound love for fashion began with thrifting, which she calls "treasure hunting." She enjoys the process of finding unique pieces and incorporating them into her wardrobe. She discovered that she could express herself through fashion and that her style could evolve along with her personality and preferences.
"So when I go to thrift shopping, I can take as much as I can and then just see each of them. And it's just like treasure hunter. Thrift shopping makes me find a new side of myself. Even if you have the same clothes in your closet but how you style, how you combine, you can make new outfits," Ando explains.
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Credits
Featuring
Minami Ando (Instagram: @minamiando_nyc)
Camera, sound, graphics, edit & production
David Lam
Music
“Tilt” by Hannah Parrott
“Warm Concrete" by Sublab
"Madainn (Lycoriscoris Remix)" by Faodail
“Beaux rêves” by Eagle Lake
“Mood Ring” by Kaptan
100% Clearance through Musicbed
Listen on Spotify
Additional footage
Minami Ando
iStock.com
Zxvisual
Travelism
Edwin Tan
Wuarter Studios
Kanagu Photo
Itsskin
natalie_board
Tsingha25
Drimafilm
John Penney
Shutterstock
Horth Rasur
Stephane Bidouze
Mnaphotography
Goofyfoottaka
rblfmr
ACIDBITE
Additional sounds
Soundsnap
Special thanks
Filmed in
New York, NY, United States, September 2022