Meet the Hawks’ ‘Dancing DJ’ Chika Takai, who will DJ at All-Star weekend

I“ I“ staert ot eht elyts ehs ehs dias .retomorp evol evol ni woh woh reh ”.ydobyreve ydobyreve ydemoc sretac ”,gnidliub dna a ,smiS

krow denoitisnart ot eht xis snosaes nosaes won si emag-ni ni ni reh htruof tsrif tsrif elamef ,recnad sa sa dna dna a iakaT ’skwaH skwaH .JD JD naisA retfA 2202

krow htiw owt pirt ot ot eht eht eht dedrawer yramirp .retal ni sah drah emag syad erofeb neeb a sratS gnisiR ABN tiutnI ,doowelgnI reH emaG yadirF emoD JD ainrofilaC ratS-llA

laeR“ lliw lliw lliw llew .dnekeew siht eht eht eht eht ,maet detneserper mrofrep fo ,rebmem gnikam emag-ni tsoh tsoh tsac erofeb eb dna dna aemahS ABN ABN ,notroM sircaduL nosnhoJ nelaJ seviwesuoH ’skwaH skwaH UCBH knuD tsetnoC .cissalC sediseB ”atnaltA atnaltA ratS-llA

DJ Chika Takai, the first and only female DJ for the Atlanta Hawks, poses for a photograph before the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Atlanta. DJ Chika Takai, who has been with the team for over a decade, will attend the NBA All-Star Game on February 15 in Inglewood, California.  (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

siht eht .laiceps ehs dias ylsuoiverp demrofrep erom si ni ni emag neve recnad tub ta sa a iakaT ratS ABN atnaltA llA ,1202

sihT“ m’I“ ”.emit gnihtemos os dias fo gnol si rof ”,deticxe gnimaerd neeb a ,iakaT ev’I .63

ehT“ I“ eviG‘ uoy dlrow ohw tahw dnekeew noitadilav ot scitpeks wohs nees ,yas dias :setunim :nem em si repolretni ni reh evah gniog rof evif detanimod ”’.od nac yb sa na syawla a iakaT demankciN ABN ll’I I gnicnaD ”,JD ratS-llA

ohw eht eht ehs ecidujerp dedecerp fo won gninrom si si emag-ni emag-ni tsoh .secaf erawa sa ,recnuonna dna 301-V ,reggiT iakaT ’skwaH JD giB

s’ehS“ s’ehS“ esohw ot taht ”.detnelat ehs yas dias laer gniyalp ton eman ”,cisum tsuj si si lrig etuc etelpmoc nac a a ,reggiT .nagroM I nairaD .JD ,JD JD

Hawks DJ Chika Takai greets her boss Joe Abercrombie with an elaborate handshaking routine at the Jan. 23, 2026 Hawks game. (Rodney Ho/AJC)

krow eciv eht eht ecnis stes roines dias tnediserp fo evil .ti hgih eh emag rof rof secneirepxe ylisae sraelc rab ta dna a iakaT eoJ skwaH JD ,eibmorcrebA ,7102

yllaicepse“ cisuM“ elohw erehw .emit eht eht eht eht strops ,dias gniyalp ”.yalp eno fo fo cisum si si si ni sneppah ”,emag emag wef ecneirepxe gnirud eroc ta na ehT ABN ABN JD .atnaltA eibmorcrebA

htiw htiw ot eht eht dnet kcartdnuos sdnuos os ehs ehs stlas kcor .referp pop sreyalp .seton ,bulcthgin erom si si desrepsretni ni poh-pih ylivaeh raeh emag morf raf ,esrevid tnereffid ecneidua dna dna dna a a ll’uoY ehT yeliM ,sogiM enaM zepoL ,nitaL .ramaL kcirdneK refinneJ skwaH iccuG gniJD gniJD ,suryC CD/CA

htiw lliw ohw yrt ot siht eht eht ratsrepus ,rats stilps gnos teppins kaens ehs ehs nosaes par ro fo cisum xim ni reh yltaerg .emag morf wollef etirovaf yreve cinortcele seitud ecnad segnahc tsitra dna .serimda a a ,iakaT .I.T evetS ,kwahoM esenapaJ JD JD tuB desab-atnaltA ,ikoA naciremA

htiw owt elbatnrut ciffart ot ot yeht eht eht pots dnuos ,gnilims fo ,gnivom sevom spotpal si reh ,emag morf gnipmub-tsif snaf tnereffid ytiretxed .rellortnoc yltnatsnoc yb .htoob draob sa na ria iakaT ehS gniruD

tahw gnikcart ,tuoemit hguorht eht ,tpircs enituor repap ro ti sneppah truoc-flah ,yawaevig spilf hcae gnirud ecnad eb a a a trihs-T .tohS ehS topkcaJ s’harraH eekorehC sonisaC egap-61 000,01$

s’teL“ ”.pmuJ“ ”!esnefeD“ slley nehw nehw ot s’ereht eht sekat dnuos dnuos erutangis .tohs ehs ehs sdnes hceercs syalp reyalp reyalp yalp tuo ro fo sekam sdnal gniwonk pmuj eh kwah ,emag morf luof stceffe tceffe seuc pilc niatrec ,llab retfa a a a a a a a a ,reggiT s’erehT repuS ehS oiraM ’ssorK sirK fI ”skwaH skwaH skwaH oG gniruD .sorB giB .3

reggiT“ ehs .dias evah ”,wolf dna a I

nehw nehw tahw gnitisiv ot .worht ereht eht eht eht maet gnitoohs ehs ehs selur reyalp yalp yalp rep ralucitrap gnisoppo no ,cisum stimil si ,ecnatsni sah sah eerf rof ,wollof t’nac nac .llab era era na a erehT ehS .ABN dnA

htiw ohw elihw sklaw yllacipyt ot semit hguorht ev’yeht yeht eht taht gnibbus ecneuqes yas sedivorp no fo sevom ynam shgual si ni reh ,olleh ekahsdnah yfoog og rof enod .esnefed yad ylraelc yb yb ,ssob .erofeb staeb dna a ehS ,kwahoM J skwaH JD ,kcalB staeB ,eibmorcrebA

sihT“ ehs dnoces .dias ym ekil si ”,ylimaf

Chika Takai at age 11 performing ballet in Japan. She is the first female in-game DJ at the Atlanta Hawks.

dluow htiw t’nsaw pu eht .reganeet rehcaet sbrubus selyts ecitcarp .noissap stnerap rehto fo mom tsilanruoj otni ni ,sruoh reh reh gniworg dednapxe decarbme maerd ecnad .dad doohdlihc nageb tellab ta ta sa dna dna dna lla ega a a a oykoT s’iakaT ehS ehS JD gnieB 7

I“ I“ ot ot ehs .dias dedeen og t’ndid ”.ecnad ”,egelloc

sraey .krow thguat ehs lareves lacisum cisum gnixim gninrael ni reh rof rof did gnicnad ,secnad .ecnad dehpargoerohc nageb cisab dnuorgkcab stsitra dna osla ehS napaJ roF JD

raey htiw ot ot emit kniht eht taht gnillews tneps niks ehs ehs prahs ereves ytnelp .niap fo devom erom thgim noitcefni ni fi reh reh evag luftiurf ecnad desuac reerac deb eb ta dna osla tsomla ega a a detinU nehT .setatS tI ,42

tI“ htiw htiw saw saw saw asiv ot tneduts .luos ehs ehs ehs yracs ,sgnivas .dias ,detarepucer par ecno fo tsedom laminim ekil egdelwonk wonk welf railimaf t’ndid ”,denimreted tub stsitra dna dna ydaerla a a .I.T oS ehS ehS ,tsaktuO sircaduL I .hsilgnE atnaltA atnaltA

Chika Takai in an early promo photo as an Atlanta Hawks dancer. (Courtesy of Atlanta Hawks)

erehw derrefsnart koot ot ot eht eht seiduts ehs ylkciuq derojam lacol deruni ni .ytilatipsoh poh-pih flesreh labolg gnileef ,erutluc sessalc .ssenisub neewteb ta dna dna dna na tnemngila ,ytisrevinU hceT etatS nrehtuoS ehS ehS esenapaJ etutitsnI aigroeG aigroeG hsilgnE naisA

nehw saw ot eht eht eht .maet ehs ehs sgninepo no fo detimil egdelwonk deugirtni reh draeh dah ecnad emaceb hguohT ABN leahciM ,nadroJ skwaH

yehT“ I“ dluow erew tnaw yrev detaert ot ot sgniht eht .maet ”,laiceps ehs .dias taeper .tneitap ”.em edam detimil reh t’ndid eb yehT iakaT ,hsilgnE etipseD

.ebiv ylkciuq reh eralf citegrene decarbme tnedifnoc dna snaF

s’eH“ eH“ ohw ohw ot ot eht ehs terces .dias ”,cilbup tem denoitnem .reganam ekil ni ,deifitnedi ,dnabsuh reh reh ”.yug lautneve t’nseod denilced ,truoc tub emaceb eb eb osla a iakaT ffO

Chika Takai began her career with the Atlanta Hawks as a dancer for six years before segueing to DJing. (Courtesy of Atlanta Hawks)

ohw nehw detnaw dlot ot eht eht taht maet desirprus ehs dellacer seesrevo won ni reh srecnad ecnad yllausac gnieb tnatsissa dna a iakaT skwaH etaK-yelaH ,nikyaD ,sJD .JD 8102

eW“ eW“ erew saw siht ehs ehs suoires .dias ffo won wonk woh ”,reh .draug ”.tsrif t’ndid t’ndid thguac ta tuoba eW

saw ot neht maet emos ehs .suoires devom tel reh .semag morf ,tsrif stneve ecnad ytinummoc niatpac ta yehT kwahykS ehS kraP nI skwaH eugaeL-G .JD JD egelloC ,2202

ehS“ ehS“ lliw elohw erehw neht eht strats ”,wohs ehs .dias yllaer secnamrofrep no snioj neve od ”.srecnad truoc sgnirb sa a a nikyaD ,JD

s’tI“ .yaw ot sgniht eht .ytilibisnopser sreferp revo erom erom erom ekil boj ”.devlovni ni evah doog leef ,od :gnicnad a iakaT m’I ,deednI I I JD

DJ Chika Takai, the first and only female DJ for the Atlanta Hawks, performs dance moves during the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Atlanta. DJ Chika Takai, who has been with the team for over a decade, will attend the NBA All-Star Game on February 15 in Inglewood, California. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

laeR“ sraey .nwot siht yeht nips os noitceleer yllar smrofrep elpoep fo fo ,hcum .htnom enil dekil .hcnual sih sih derih reh reh reh reh sah dah rof rof noihsaf .stneve tneve reilrae elpuoc thguorb kcab ta dnuora dna na osla oga a a iakaT ehS .neS egavaS ffossO noJ seviwesuoH aigroeG deJD ovarB ”atnaltA 12

htiw ot ot ot eht eht detrats ,trops ehs yltnecer sreyalp snalp nwo ybraen sevol reh rof yllaicepse .seirtnuoc ynapmoc gnirb eb dna dna na rodassabma ABN napaJ tuB