JAPAN PERFORMING ARTS, INC.

Nonprofit Organization

NEW YORK

All content © 2019, Japan Performing Arts, Inc.  235 West 48th S., New York, NY 10036:

    Cultures are characteristics of countries or regions. Such characteristics can be understood through learning each region’s typical lifestyles, thinking patterns, and general attitudes toward life. There are myriad diverse cultures the world over – each, with its distinct characteristics, demonstrating the uniqueness of each culture’s climate, environment, surrounding circumstances and background history.

    People have been inventing things suitable to their environment and nurturing their own unique value systems in their group activities. The visible characteristics of each region can be recognized as the representation of the area’s spiritual values. In turn, by actively learning the cultural value systems of each region, one can gain a deeper understanding of what is visible, as the representation of items of each culture.

   It is often said that by comparing your own culture to another, you gain an improved understanding of your culture, and the subject culture, as well. For example, generally Japanese culture is described as a group-oriented culture, as opposed to the individualism of the West. Also, the emphasis on the visual representation in Japanese culture is often described, in contrast to the Western emphasis on verbal description.

   Japanese and Western cultures do not always stand at one extreme or the other; to facilitate cultural education, such comparisons are useful, however. Japan Performing Arts, Inc. aims to explain Japanese culture with visible cultural representation programs and performances, along with background information, using methods of cultural comparison.

  We would like to introduce Japan’s cultural wisdom, nurtured by a variety of practical and spiritual needs in the lives of the people of Japan.

    Our activities are mainly geared towards: 1) Schools, 2) Local Communities -- offering opportunities to understand Japanese culture intellectually. Our performances and programs can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of these communities.

   We hope to demonstrate historical and cultural contexts in our performances (including some ethno-psychological contexts); learning experiences can be very entertaining and memorable for people of all ages.

    Our presentations primarily demonstrate Japanese traditions and values; often including themes of patience, harmony and discipline, which we are convinced, are fundamentally inherent to Japanese culture.

    Japan Performing Arts, Inc. aims to accomplish its mission by providing learning opportunities for children and adults, through lectures and performances. Performances can be accompanied by lectures and demonstrations, or JPA can simply host cultural workshops.

    Japan Performing Arts, Inc. is a non-profit organization established by Yuko Hamada to introduce Japanese art forms in New York.  Based in New York City, JPA's activities focus on educational experiences to discover and re-discover Japanese culture through Japanese performing arts.   

   Our activities cater to the needs of local Japanese communities, as well as those of any community seeking to experience the many forms of Japanese traditional arts.

Yuko Hamada is the founder and President of Japan Performing Arts, Inc. Yuko is also a Nichibu (or Nihon Buyo) dance choreographer/dancer. She used to be a member of Takarazuka Revue Company, a nationally well-known all-female theater in Japan. She graduated from the dramatic writing program of Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. She wrote, directed and produced three Off-off Broadway plays and received a lot of media coverage for her unique presentation of Japanese theater arts. Since the establishment of Japan Performing Arts, Inc., her pursuit of Japanese theater presentation has been ever evolving with wider range of venues, such as at the United Nations Headquarters, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Brooklyn Botanic Garden, etc. In 2015, Yuko established Kagura Preservation Society of New York to introduce the Chugoku region's performing art. The Society gave performances in 2015 and 2017 at MMAC and Symphony Space in New York City as a major part of JPA Cultural Repertoires productions. The next production is scheduled in Winter, 2018.

Tomoko Takedani Sater hails from Tokyo, Japan, and she came to the U. S. in 2002 to study dance. She received BA in Dance from SUNY Potsdam, and MFA in Dance from The University of Michigan. Since 2008, she has produced and performed in New York City with a theatre dance company she co-founded. Currently, Tomoko wears many hats such as a dance teacher, a Japanese educator, an interpreter/translator, a producer, an emcee, and a video editor, while raising her 5 years old daughter. 

Mariko Takizawa graduated from Borough of Manhattan Community College with AS degree in Theatre, specializing in stage management. Her stage management credits include The Arsonists (Tribeca Performing Arts Center), The Red Coat (BMCC), Rashomon (Japan Performing Arts, Inc.), SONG (HERE Arts Center), JPA Cultural Repertoires (Japan Performing Arts, Inc.), The Fairy Tale Project (Tribeca Performing Arts Center). Other credits include: running crew, operation crew, and wardrobe crew at Off-Off Broadway theater HERE, backstage manager at Japan Day.

Seika Takeuchi is from Japan. She has trained for ten years in various types of dance. Since coming to New York City to study at Borough of Manhattan Community College as a Theatre major, some of her acting credits include Measure for Measure (Tribeca Performing Arts Center), Marco Millions (The Brick), and stage reading of Mutually Exclusive in The Brick Theater where currently she is working at in Brooklyn. She is thankful and excited to be part of this production.

Kiyo Kamisawa is a theatre artist from Tokyo, Japan. She has recently graduated from SUNY Purchase College with a Theater and Performance degree, specializing in directing and playwriting. She is a director, playwright, and dramaturg who is interested in connecting people from different backgrounds through theater. Her past credit includes: Beauty Lies Within (co-writer, director, and sound designer), Orestes 2.0 (dramaturg), The Skriker (dramaturg), Yuya (playwright,director) at SUNY Purchase College, and the workshop production of Suicide Forrest (assistant director) at The Bushwick Starr.

Sanae Ohno is a photographer/filmmaker from Japan. Sanae is originally from a live music photographer in Japan. After she came to NY, she start building her career up as a filmmaker. She managed to work for TV production company and study MBA Media Management of Metropolitan collage of New York at the same time, she graduated from the course the beginning of 2018. Some of her credits include New York Fashion Week, Rock in Japan, TAPE (Dir. Deborah Kampmeier), Hallmark Christmas Movie 2018(Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane) . She is thankful and excited to be part of this production.

Motoko Tadano was born in Japan and began her dance training in Classeic ballet. She has performed at prominent dance platforms all over Japan. She then moved to New York City to further her dance training and performance skills in Modern and Contemporary Dance and Choreography, and she has frequently performed for various contemporary choreographers in illustrious dance theatres in New York City. Since 2006 she has been repertory assistant and lead dancer in Overground Physical Theatre Dance Company’s interdisciplinary works choreographed by dance maverick Antonia Katrandjieva. Since 2008 She joined Japan Performing Arts as a Performing artist and creative pillar of the Japanese performing arts movement in New York educating the artistic community on Japanese traditional dance and culture. Most recently, she has presented at BAM Fisher the world premiers of " X-Stream" and " DISCONNECT" and " BEE-Have" at  Ailey Citygroup Theater as a collaborator and critical role with Overground and Codice Rosso Theatre. Motoko has garnered critical plaudits for her outstanding performances and artistic achievements by the Theatre Magazine, Theatre Forum, Attitude Magazine, the New Yorker, Dance Insider, Eye on Dance and New York Times, to mention but a few.

Miki's absolute fascination to small-scale theatrical arts started when she saw "The Atami Murder Case" by Tsuka Kohei as a high school student. As a junior college student for fine arts, she would belong to Osaka's small-scale theatrical productions and gain a lot of experiences in the art format. Even after college, she would continue working in the field as she would work as a background set design artist as well as an actor appearing in various roles. Upon her marriage in 1994, she came to the United States and she's been involved in theaters in New York since then.  As an actor, she would appear in Yuko Hamada's "Flower of Water 2"

Midori Anami studied Ballet and Jazz dance at Swan Ballet School, as well as Nihon buyou (Japanese traditional dance) with Mamisuke Hanayagi, in Kumamoto, Japan. She moved to New York in 1996 to pursue her dance career and studied various forms of dance at Ballet Arts, Broadway Dance Center and Martha Graham School for Dance. She toured with French singer Mylene Farmer for her world tour "Mylenium" from 1999 to 2000 and made numerous TV appearances in France. She has appeared in many concerts and dinner shows throughout NY and NJ. She performs modern dance with various choreographers in NYC. She joined JPA in 2014.

Yuki DelliPaoli works in a beauty industry in New York, specialized in enhancing eyelashes. She is also a certified personal color analyst.  Her grandfather was a Noh-dance trainer of Konparu style in Nara pref. Japan.Yuki was born in Hyogo pref. Japan and moved to New York in 1985. She is very excited to keep in touch with her own roots by learning Nichibu at Japan Performing Arts, Inc.

Sayaka Wada is originally from Tokyo, Japan.

 After she studied dance at Tokyo School of Music, she worked at Tokyo Disney Resort for 4 years earning her spot as one of their elite dancers. Additionally, she has extensive experience as a Teacher/Choreographer as well as several appearances in various

hows with  well-known Japanese  artists. Sayaka relocated to New York City in 2013.

 She was a member of the Japanese drums & street dance group, COBU (2014-2015).

Sayaka is excited to officially start her professional career as a Dancer in NYC with JPA!!!

Masatsugu Sakai was born and grew up in Shimane prefecture, Japan where the Iwami Kagura Dance (Shinto theatrical dance) thrived primarily. He grew up watching his father dancing Kagura at the informal gathering. He himself joined the local performing art club and played a program, Jinrin at the opening of the cultural center in his childhood. He played the head of 3 demons, which was the lead role in the Jinrin. Currently in N.Y. he is learning to dance the role of Susanoo (God) in the play Orochi (The eight headed dragons).    

Ryo Shiba is an attorney by day, a dancer, singer, novelist, and podcaster by night. Born and raised in Japan but he somewhat mastered the English language without that much exposure to the outside world, maybe because he loved chatting with people way too much. He has been on his weight-loss/transformation journey since 2015 and he has lost over 100lbs. If you’re ever interested in finding out more, follow him @obesian_to_asian on Instagram.

Akiko Matsumoto graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City with B.F.A. in Dance, focusing on Choreography. She also studied acting with Ron Stetson in Stetson Studios. Her credits include commercials on MTV and Showtime, the role of Li’l Eva and ensemble in “The King and I” in U.S. regional theaters, and dancer/performer in various music videos, shows and festivals. She thanks Yuko for the opportunity to stay connected with, and spread the beautiful Japanese culture through performing arts.

Wakaba Nakamura was born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1996. When she was three, she began ballet in Chico Nakata Ballet Theater. She just really loved to dance. And she went to Tokyo after she graduated from high school, and she studied other kinds of dance. Then she came to New York in 2016. Now she is studying at Alvin Ailey American Dance School.

Tsubasa was born in Japan. At age of 7, he started classical ballet taught by Atsuko Yamada and he also stared modern dance at age 9. At age of 15, he stared contemporary dance taught by Fumihito Shimizu. He also awards include 1st place in the Chiba Select Young Dancer’s Performance, 3rd place in the Saitama Dance Competition, 3rd place in the Dance Competition in Sendai and 2nd place in the NBA National Ballet Competition.

He had performed “Water Flow” choreographed by Fumihito Shimizu in Japan and in USA. He also performed “Direction Selection” with NBA Ballet Dance Company in Japan.

In 2017, he accepted to The Ailey School and he got scholarship in 2018.

He performed at Ailey Sprit Gala 2018 with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s “Battlefield” choreographed by Robert Battle and Elisa Clark at Lincoln Center.

He had also worked with Omar Roman de Jesus and Marcus Jarrell Wills.

He is currently member of Japan Performing Arts and The Heraclitus Project.

Yukari is from Saitama, Japan. She graduated from a beauty school in Tokyo and worked at a hair salon in a top fashion district in Tokyo, Omotesando for three years. After that, she became a freelance as a kimono dresser,hair designer and came to New York in 2012. She is a Kimono evangelist and participates in events and shows as a hair designer ,Kimono dresser and kimono lecturer.

Sho MIYA (Kochi, Japan) began his jazz dance training at the age 3 with his mother, Aki Miya, and he studied ballet under Daisuke Takeuchi in Hokkaido, Japan. He also has trained in hiphop, tap, modern, and contemporary, and has traveled numerous times to New York to deepen his knowledge. In 2015, he officially moved to New York City to train at The Ailey School. He received a scholarship for two full years at The School, and has performed in "Memoria" with the company at New York City Center in 2016. He also trained at Saratoga, Ailey, and Complexions summer intensives on scholarship

After graduating high school in 2017, he got into Broadway Dance Center, which is located in New York. He was able to learn a wide range of dance from the world famous dancers. By being a part of music videos, shows, musicals, and choreography, he became highly recognized. After graduating Broadway Dance Center, he successively passed Alvin Ailey School, which is known all over the world as well.

Nicolas was born in France on July 12, 1997 in Levallois Perret (92).   For 4 years he received training in Funky-Styles, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Classics, Theater, and other performing arts disciplines. In 2015, at the age of 17, he graduated with a science bachelor. He will sign the MUMOS status on November 23 of the same year. Between 2015 and 2017, He will finish his training at Arts en Mouvements, in parallel with the beginning of the company. The journeys that never left him will then begin to take a different turn at the beginning of his WDS series in the company. During the first 7 months of 2017, he will focus on deepening his dance specialties and disciplines necessary for his next goal : The Ailey School, as well as interpretation and special drama classes with Nicolas Deletoille. 3 days after the audition in question, he learns on July 18, 2017 that he is received in this school in New York. He left France on August 26, and became a student at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater School.

Toshi was born in Kochi prefecture and raised in Hyogo prefecture in Japan. After graduating beauty school, worked at hair salon in Nishinomiya City before joining Universal Studios Japan. There, he created worn by the various characters at the theme park. Moved to the U.S. in the fall of 2008. Since the he has worked in various Kimono shows.

Saori Morris is a passionate hair and make-up artist with a love of kimono dressing. Saori was educated in Tokyo and London. She worked in Tokyo for 10 years then started to build up her diversity of skills in London, Hong Kong, Toronto and now New York. She is currently working for Opera, New York Fashion Week, TV shows, concerts, photo shoots and variety of performance events.   http://Instagram.com/saomorris

Mika was born and raised in Saitama, Japan. Moving to New York in 2008, Mika worked as an hairstylist while doing weddings, music videos, film productions, and TV shows. She’s taken part in the productions of commercials for Canon, Dixie Cup, Hakuho-Do, NHK Television, Fuji Television, and Spike TV. She has also participated in various photo shoots and numerous theater performances with special effect makeup, including Alvin Ailey, Symphony Space, Peridance, Baruch Theater, and Dizzy's Jazz. She joined Japan performing arts on 2017 .

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Yuko Hamada (President)

Motoko Tadano

Mariko Takizawa (Stage Manager)

Miki Kosugi  

Tomoko Sater (Assistant Director)

Yuki Dellipaoli

Seika Takeuchi (Production & Stage Assistant)

Midori Anami

Ryo Shiba

Kiyo Kamisawa (Script Translator)

Masatsugu Sakai

Sanae Ohno (Stage Video Designer)

Yukari Mizuuchi ( Kimono Dresser and Hair Designer)  

Akiko Matsumoto

Toshitsugu Kubota (Hair Designer)  

Sayaka Wada

Saori Morris (Kimono Dresser and Hair Designer)  

Mika Saijo (Hair Designer)  

Sho Miya

Wakaba Nakamura

Tsubasa Nishioka

Nicolas Fiery

Shota Sekiguchi

Coming Soon

Kayo Kobayashi (Social Arts Coordinator)  

Coming Soon

Yuki Takeuchi

Coming Soon

Riley Sumala

Coming Soon

Patrick Cole