Japanese Dance Party

Yesterday, I attended a special party hosted by Sachiyo Ito, whose dance company I'm volunteering for. It was a private function for Ms. Ito's associates, volunteers, and company members in which various company dancers and students performed different Japanese dances, although Ms. Ito herself didn't perform. It was a very interesting and rewarding experience; I'd never gotten the chance to actually watch Japanese dance before. It is very delicate and unpretentious, in stark contrast to Western dance styles; it looks simple enough, but I'm sure it's anything but that.

Anyway, I got to meet a few of the participants during the informal reception afterwards, including Roko Kawai. She's a Philadelphia-based modern dancer who has recently begun to study with Ms. Ito out of interest in rediscovering her Japanese heritage. (Though born in Japan, she immigrated to America when she was a little girl.) Ms. Kawai was a nice woman to talk to, and some of her perspectives on dance were certainly eye-opening. If you want to learn more about her, just click here.

My association with Sachiyo Ito and Company is turning out to be very fruitful indeed. :-)