General rehearsal at the Conrad Hotel in Shiodome, Tokyo, the day before the final.
Team MUJ:
Milly Kellner, Choreographer;
Claudia Zuleta, Show Stylist, swimsuit designer,
Andrea Keats, Backstage Director;
Richard Gazo, performer (Chicago character)
Emiri Miyasaka and Naomi Obata during the rehearsal

The parents meeting at my home…
There were people at every corner of my home, amazing! I was very sick in the morning with food poisoning but I managed to get out of bed to meet and greet all the families. It is one of my favorite moments during the 5 month process of this competition. I love meeting each girl parents, also their grand parents and siblings. It is an emotional time each year for me, it makes me reconnect with life reality in the middle of this typhoon of medias, stress and around the clock work. Itfeels to me like if I was stepping in a quiet sanctuary, time suddenly moves in a slow motion for a couple of hours. I am speaking with Ayaka Konagi and her parents on the photos.

日本大会のリハーサル。　汐留にあるコンラッドホテルにて。 下は大会を前に、イネスがファイナリストの家族を招待して行ったミーティング。 実はこの日の朝、食中毒になってしまって具合が悪かったのだけど、夕方には回復してみんなのご両親に会う事ができたの。 毎年この時間が日本大会前の楽しみの一つで、メディアやトレーニングに追われて台風のように過ごしている私を現実世界に戻してくれる瞬間なの。 写真は小柳綾華と彼女のご両親とお話している所よ。

The gorgeous MUJ Team backstage before the show starts including designer Maria H.; Andrea Keats; Milly Kellner; Tina Lutter, Erica Angyal
Emiri was fixing her dress at that time and was asked to jumped in the picture. Good coincidence!

Tina & Andrea Tina, Emiri, Erica & Andrea Maria & Andrea