Arata-san (who previously did an analysis of Ohno’s dancing in the Turning Up choreography vid) breaks down Ohno’s dancing in the Netflix documentary this time!
He's reviewing ep.3 in his video, but he says that he's been watching the Voyage documentary since ep.1. As someone who also choreographs, he's always curious how other people create their stage perfs and he's always wondered how 'top of the top' pros like Arashi do it. 
Before starting on Ohno, he remarks on how he thinks nobody could imitate what Arashi do and how amazing MJ is. He explains the numbers like 2 or 2.5 that Arashi mentions refers to staging, where the centre is '0' and numbers increase on either side to denote positions onstage.
Usually backstage there's a running order of songs with all the staging numbers noted (for performers/staff to refer to). He says the fact that Arashi can memorise that plus the choreography, lyrics AND provide fanservice is incredible. On top of that, MJ also directs!
Not only that, for 1-2 mths prior, MJ's had meetings 'til 4AM, probably starting at 8-9AM the next day + even slept there the night before the concert. Arata remarks on the amt of stamina entertainers have to maintain a schedule like that while still keeping up their health
Moving on to Ohno - what's amazing is how he uses the soles of his feet! Arata's blown away by how thoroughly Ohno utilises his feet- from the tips of his toes to his heel. This is why Ohno appears to appear weightless when he dances, 'mid-air' dancing where he glides smoothly
Arata tells his dance students to be conscious their feet, but he says Ohno's on a whole other level even Arata can't duplicate. There's a long interval from when the tips of Ohno's toes meet the ground 'til his heel makes contact - he must have v strong feet to have such control
If you try standing tiptoe and lowering your heel (here Arata gets up to try, hence going out of frame), you'll see how it engages your calves/achilles tendon. It's something ballet dancers often practice - you can imagine how strong Ohno has to be to have such control.
Although Arata had heard that Ohno choreographs, it was the Voyage documentary that made it sink in. He explains as a dancer, when told to choreograph a solo part, you can either freestyle it or have set steps. In the former, it's fresh each time you perform but quality will vary
With set steps, you lose freshness but take away the stress of having to create every time + can perform 100% every time, so this sense of security translates to the audience. Makes sense Ohno picks the latter for this long tour, but he also risks getting sick of the repetition
Ohno's drenched in sweat in the documentary, even though the actual dance probably isn't that long. It's the intense amount of creative energy, Arata says. Ohno's completely synchronized with the beat + uses his body to express that visually - he can totally kill the beat!
Even before it really starts, the way Ohno steps in with his left foot on the ground and his right foot on tiptoe, sliding in - "that's downright dirty," Arata says admiringly. That move makes the whole thing more powerful
Another thing Arata points out is how Ohno uses his knees to 'cushion' his steps. His knees are always slightly bent and his head stays at the same level the whole time. It's something Taka, one of Arata's teachers, has also said. Standing = position #1, knees bent = position #0.
In daily life, we stand in position #1, but in sports and martial arts like kendo, aikido, boxing etc, the default standing position is #0, with slightly bent knees. Dance is also a fight, Arata says, and you need to be at #0, ready to move. Ohno's extremely mindful of that
When you have intense movement, it's natural to stretch out / straighten your knees when you dance. In Arata's opinion, it's not a bad thing, but being at position #0 gives you an edge and even amongst dancers it's rare to see people mindful of that.
Ohno's gestures aren't large and sweeping, they're finely controlled within his frame of movement and that's what makes them beautiful. This is because Ohno has that #0 = default standing state. Arata says that + the strength of his soles are the secrets to Ohno's dancing.
At the same time, Ohno's movements don't feel small because they have depth, thanks to the #0 positioning. He isolates each part and executes it fully/cleanly.
One part Arata points out is Ohno doing that 'du-du-du-du' wave with his body + ending w/ his hands furling. "That's insane!" he says. When Ohno moves, lifting his legs, then his hands come in, his right hand swirls back in + he draws his right foot back - look at that footwork!
Arata says that if it were him, he'd have stopped his hands just like that. But Ohno takes it further + furls his hands. "I see!" he says. It's taking the default #0 position to its extreme. Normally when popping/locking, you just stop, but by doing this it slows down too
At a point where Ohno's using his hands, Arata notes the complexity. The way he's moving from head to toe - shoulders, feet, chest, fingers moving simultaneously, utilising even the finger joints - is incredible. "I'd love to see more!" Arata says, adding that he's learned a lot.
"My channel is called 'Arata Dance School', but I'll let you in on a secret, this is basically just a channel for me to learn stuff," he says. All these things he's pointed out might be things fans already know, but he's learned a lot and is looking forward to what's next.
He liked the scene in ep.4 where they were slightly drunk + saving the eel for Matsujun 😆 As a newcomer/non-fan, he notes that Matsujun tends to be all sunglasses & celeb-like while the rest appear in casual clothes & look more approachable - he thinks that balance is great
"I mean, Ohno's jacket and that hat - you see guys like that by the river! Like dudes fishing or out in the wild!" Arata adds that to see someone in those casual clothes producing that level of choreography - that's a real gap. In a good sense, he's like us, but also, he's not.
