Miyu Discusses Bruno Mars Collaboration and Becoming CAA’s First Japanese Dancer in Unbound Japan Interview

Dancer Miyu became the first Japanese dancer to sign an agency contract with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in September 2025. Billboard Japan spoke with her about her career milestones, her recent work, and her future goals as part of the Unbound Japan interview series.

At the Billboard Global Power Players 2026, held on June 12, you took the stage as a presenter and honored CAA’s Marlene Tsuchii, who received the Artist Advocate Award. Could you tell us about how you met her?

Miyu stated, “I only met Marlene fairly recently, but thanks to her I was able to sign with CAA, my horizons broadened, and my imagination for what I want to do really expanded. Being able to call out Marlene’s name on that stage was a huge honor, and it’s rare for a dancer to attend an awards ceremony like that, so I felt it was an incredibly valuable opportunity and really enjoyed it.”

Speaking of that agency contract with CAA, it was a landmark achievement as the first for a Japanese dancer. What led to the contract actually coming together?

In Japan, dancers often play a role that is about making the artist shine, or they work as instructors. In Los Angeles and South Korea, dance and music sit much closer together, and dancers are recognized as artists in their own right. Miyu shared that she once told an artist she worked with about wanting that world to become the norm and wanting to go further abroad, which led to introductions and eventually the contract.

The agency contract with CAA is a major milestone. Has anything changed for you since then?

Miyu noted that while nothing has changed in a big way yet, her mindset has shifted. It feels like she has stepped onto a huge stage and into an unknown world.

Looking back on your career, at 19 you won the house division of JUSTE DEBOUT 2017 WORLD FINAL, the world’s top street dance battle competition held in Paris. What do you think was the key to your win?

Miyu explained that because she practiced more than anyone, she was not nervous, which allowed her to free herself on that big stage and deliver her best performance.

Did winning at JUSTE DEBOUT affect your career afterward?

Miyu felt happy and unbelievable, noting that people around her viewed her differently. However, her own activities did not change much at the time, which made her realize how little recognition dancers receive from society.

Would you say that’s when you started to focus on getting dancers to shine not just behind the scenes, but in the spotlight too?

Miyu shared her honest reaction from that time: “I’ve spent this much time and staked my whole life on this, and yet when I come back to Japan, nobody knows who I am. Isn’t that just too sad?”

As you mentioned, a dancer’s status still isn’t fully established in Japan. Is that different in other countries?

South Korea has changed the most in recent years, with dance shows drawing high viewership ratings and dancers collaborating with artists as equals. In Japan, status has also gradually risen, with increased opportunities for dancers to appear in ads, commercials, and magazines.

In the TV commercial for Don Quijote released in summer 2024, you appeared alongside Bruno Mars, at his request. How did that collaboration come together?

It was the first time Bruno Mars offered Miyu a role directly, stating he wanted to do house dance. They practiced together in Japan, worked out choreography, and designed costumes. Miyu stated that the collaboration changed her life and led her to consider going to the U.S.

Did he give you any advice?

Working with Bruno Mars and others showed Miyu things bigger than anything she had seen before, giving her the confidence to jump into something bigger.

You have a motto, “Make the impossible possible.” Does that come from your own experience?

Having achieved a world championship starting from a place where little was expected, Miyu believes that nothing in life is truly impossible. She wants to be a source of strength and courage for people who give up on challenges.

If you were to give advice to someone hoping to take on a challenge abroad, what would you say?

Miyu advised taking action first, explaining that waiting until conditions are fully in place often leads to inaction. Mustering the courage to take the first step forces a person to move forward.

Tell us about what’s ahead. Is there anything you’d like to take on next?

Miyu aims to prove how far she can go as a dancer on equal footing with actors and singers. She wants to combine dance with fashion, music, inclusion, technology, and education so more people discover the appeal of dance.

—This interview by Sakika Kumagai first appeared on Billboard Japan