Celebrating the Japanese Culture through Contemporary Dance
Each work the company presents is rooted in an aspect of the Japanese language and culture.
Through our new Culture Commissions initiative, we also engage guest artists in research-oriented commissions to create work inspired by the Japanese culture.
NEWS: U.S.-Japan Friendship Commission, 2019-20 Creative Artist Fellowship
Artistic Director Cameron McKinney and renowned Japanese choreographer Toru Shimazaki will collaborate to produce a 30-minute contemporary dance work for a five person ensemble. The work will be rooted in an embodiment of the personal histories of dancers both in the United States and Japan, and is meant to resonate on a deeper level with the dancers of both casts. McKinney will travel to Kobe to work with Shimazaki's dance company, Dance Barbizon, then return to New York to work with his dancers. The work will then be performed in Tokyo in summer 2020. By specifically focusing on the connection between United States-based artists and Japanese artists, the work will portray the bond of friendship that has developed between the two nations over the last several decades by accenting the similarities between the two seemingly disparate cultures.