Rikka Ihara Appointed Special Ambassador for 'Summer Koshien of Dance': 14th National High School Dance Club Championship (DCC) Decided to Be Held

Avex Entertainment Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Katsumi Kuroiwa) announced that it has decided to hold the "avex presents DANCE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 14th National High School Dance Club Championship (hereinafter referred to as DCC)," which determines the No. 1 high school dance club in Japan, and that entry registration has opened today. DCC is a competition to determine the pinnacle of high school dance clubs nationwide, and this year marks its 14th iteration, having started in 2013. The judging criteria include how well a "two-kanji theme is expressed through dance," along with three items: "expressiveness," "technical skill," and "originality," scored out of 100 points. The number of participating schools has increased approximately 4.4 times since its first year, with 185 teams participating nationwide last year. As the special ambassador to energize this tournament, Rikka Ihara, an alumna of Osaka Prefectural Tomioka High School who performed the "Bubbly Dance" and won the 5th DCC, has been appointed for the second consecutive year. Ms. Ihara, who has experience performing in her high school dance club, will further boost the tournament by supporting participating high school students and promoting the charm of the event. ■ 14th National High School Dance Club Championship Special Ambassador Rikka Ihara I will be serving as the Special Ambassador for DCC again this year. I remember being deeply moved by the overwhelming brilliance of the high school students, their skills that rival adults, their passion poured into those few minutes, and everything about the tournament at the previous event. With respect for the days you have spent practicing for DCC, I hope to support you with all the feelings and passion I can offer, even if it's just a small part. I am already looking forward to discovering what kind of performances we will encounter. Born June 2, 1999, from Osaka Prefecture. Debuted as an actress in 2018. Her major works include the NHK serial TV novel "Boogie Woogie," dramas "My Second AOHARU" and "The Wife Who Was Stolen My Liver," the movie "Glory of Back Home," and the stage play "Woyzeck." In 2025, she will star in consecutive two-cour dramas: Fuji TV's "Parallel Couples: The Truth About My Deceased Wife" and NTV's "Love Prohibition." ■ DCC Feature 1: A competition for high school dance clubs, open for free nationwide participation. This year, we will further expand the areas for regional tournaments, adding Shikoku Regional Tournament and Okinawa Prefectural Tournament (partner tournament) to the Kyushu, Kansai, Kanto, Chubu, and Tohoku Regional Tournaments, for a total of 7 regional areas nationwide. Online preliminaries will also be held, continuing from last year. The online preliminaries provide all participating teams with a "feedback sheet" containing advice from judges, which can be utilized for future activities and skill improvement. Teams that find it difficult to participate in regional tournaments can also enter the online preliminaries. ■ DCC Feature 2: A Grand Finale where you can experience entertainment firsthand. The Grand Finale features guest performances and DJ TIME by DJ KOO (TRF), providing an opportunity for high school dance club members to enjoy themselves beyond team boundaries, which is another characteristic of this tournament. ■ DCC Feature 3: Evaluation of works based on Kanji themes Since fiscal year 2024, in cooperation with the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation, Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, we have established the "Best Storytelling Award," which will continue to be awarded this year. This award evaluates the originality and expressiveness of the work's theme from the perspective of "how the understanding of Kanji is expressed," in addition to originality, which is one of DCC's judging criteria. ▲Last year's award-winning theme: Seishun (星瞬 - Star Moment) by Hosoda High School (Saitama Prefecture) DCC begins accepting entries today, with the Grand Finale scheduled for August 26 (Wednesday) at Tokyo Garden Theater. We look forward to seeing your shining performances on this passionate stage. Avex will continue to contribute to dance culture and aim to provide opportunities for social experience through dance for the next generation of high school students. ■ Overview of "avex presents DANCE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 14th National High School Dance Club Championship" DANCE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP is a dance event that determines the pinnacle of high school dance clubs nationwide. Competitors vie in expressiveness, technical skill, and originality of themes conveyed through two Kanji characters. 【Tournament Dates】 Kanto Regional Tournament ①: June 7 (Sun) Venue: Mori no Hall 21 Grand Hall Kyushu Regional Tournament: June 13 (Sat) Venue: SAWARAPIA (formerly Momochi Palace) Chubu Regional Tournament: June 14 (Sun) Venue: Will Hall Aichi Shikoku Regional Tournament: June 21 (Sun) Venue: Matsuyama University Carrefour Hall Tohoku Regional Tournament: June 27 (Sat) Venue: Taihaku Ward Cultural Center Rakuraku-ra Hall Kansai Regional Tournament ①: July 4 (Sat) Venue: Kobe Culture Hall Kansai Regional Tournament ②: July 5 (Sun) Venue: Kobe Culture Hall Kanto Regional Tournament ②: July 20 (Mon/Hol) Venue: Tachikawa Stage Garden Okinawa Prefectural Tournament (Affiliated): July 25 (Sat) Venue: Uruma City Ishikakawa Kaikan Grand Hall Online Preliminary Tournament (Video Submission Period): May 1 (Fri) - July 15 (Wed) Grand Finale: August 26 (Wed) Venue: Tokyo Garden Theater 【Entry Period】 April 15 (Wed) - June 30 (Tue) *Regional tournaments accept entries until approximately 2 weeks before the event date (please check the official website for specific deadlines). *Entries are generally accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and will close once capacity is reached. 【Judging Criteria】 * Competitions will be held on how well the two-Kanji theme is expressed through dance. * Scored out of 100 points across three categories: "Expressiveness," "Technical Skill," and "Originality." Do the costumes/hair & makeup/facial expressions match the theme? How well is the two-Kanji theme expressed through dance via "choreography"? *Regarding "Choreography": Judged comprehensively on aspects such as "how well sound expression is shown through formations in a balanced manner," "balance of complexity and simplicity," and "whether movement is also part of the choreography." Comprehensively judged on "rhythm keeping ability," "sharpness/speed/power/flexibility," "silhouette," "unison," and "techniques." *Regarding techniques: Judged comprehensively on individual techniques, composite techniques, difficulty, completion, harmony with the work, etc. Points are awarded for originality that cannot be measured by the "Expressiveness" and "Technical Skill" criteria above. *The impact of the theme setting, including its meaning, also falls under this point-awarding category. ■ Official Website: https://dcc.avex.jp/ Kyodo Public Relations Co., Ltd. Yabu (080-8072-4384) Kudo (080-8071-8706) [email protected]