About Us
Our Story
The name "Dancing Whimsy-steria" is made up of three parts:
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Dancing - practicing, performing, and sharing Japanese dances, Nihon Buyo, Waltz, Blues, and other forms of dance.
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Whimsy - the sense of wonder in nature, the love of whimsical pastels and pop culture, and the wholesome joy of magical girl anime and fairy tales.
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Steria - a shortening of "wisteria" or "fuji no hana." A beautiful hanging grape-shaped flower vine. If you ever get the chance to see a grove you will be intoxicated by their uniquely sweet floral scent and enchanted by how they dance and float in the breeze. These flowers are a huge inspiration to our CEO.
Dancing Whimsy-steria was started by CEO Pamela Johnson in 2017 originally to teach Japanese culture and fine arts, especially origami and Japanese Nihon Buyo Fan Dance. It is a joy to learn about other cultures, to share cultural traditions with others, and to watch people learn beautiful traditional arts.
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In 2021, Pamela had a battle with stage 3 cancer that unfortunately affected the nerves in her dominant arm and made holding a fan and dressing in kimono too difficult. Between the global pandemic with isolation orders and battling the cancer, the tough executive decision was made to move away from Japanese dance for now and focus more on retail and small events.
Pamela started running a small Ebay site selling some collectibles, Japanese-style handicrafts, and US 80's/90's nostalgia toys, dolls, and My Little Ponies.
By mid-2023, Pamela's cancer improved- though with limited mobility, and she was able to start rebuilding her life. She realized that life is too short to put all of the things you love and enjoy on the backburner, so she jumped in head first and started planning events.
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In less than 3 months she created, promoted, and coordinated a new event for NW Indiana, the Charming Treasures Doll Show with the help of her family. This project stemmed from her mother's (Debby) love of vintage Barbie dolls and the fun they used to have attending and selling at the Valparaiso Doll Show that ended in 2018.
The Charming Treasures Doll Show is now an annual event.
Through continued recovery, Pamela hopes to revive her mission to share and teach Japanese handicrafts, dance, and culture to others. It is the goal of Dancing Whimsy-steria to share our love of Japanese culture with our community and inspire others to explore the beauty of the beautiful Japanese country and to learn about some of these ancient art forms. Join us on a journey of discovery and creativity!
At Dancing Whimsy-steria, we are passionate about sharing the beauty and elegance of Japanese culture. Our team is dedicated to providing the highest quality instruction and products to help you explore the rich culture, history, and traditions of Japan.