Japan Society presents

Beyond Ballet,
Beyond Hip-Hop
Friday, May 10, 7:30 pm—Followed by an artist Q&A

Saturday, May 11, 7:30 pm

Beyond Ballet, Beyond Hip-Hop is supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Governmentof Japan through the Japan Arts Council, Doug and Teresa Peterson, and The Harkness
Foundation for Dance.

2023—2024 Performing Arts Season Support
The season is made possible by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
in partnership with the City Council.

Major support is generously provided by Doug and Teresa Peterson, the Howard Gilman Foundation, andHisamitsu America, Inc. Endowment support is provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment
Fund, The John and Miyoko Davey Endowment Fund, and the Endowment for the Performing Arts,
established with a leadership gift from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Additional support is provided by The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Nancy and Joe Walker,
Dr. and Mrs. Carl F. Taeusch II, Dr. Jeanette C. Takamura, Estate of Alan M. Suhonen, and Friends of the
Performing Arts. All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. is the official airline of the Japan Society Performing Arts
Program. Yamaha is the official piano provider of Japan Society.

Japan Society programs are made possible by leadership support from Booth Ferris Foundation and the
New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State
Legislature.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S NOTE
We are proud to culminate this season with two exciting and innovative
contemporary dance pieces. As the program title Beyond Ballet, Beyond Hip-Hop
implies, each piece defies the conventional perception of ballet dance and hip-hop
dance.
Since its premiere by Anna Pavlova in 1905, Michel Fokine’s choreography
known as The Dying Swan has relished its status as one of the most frequently
performed works of Western classic ballet. (In fact, Wikipedia states that Pavlova
herself performed this piece about 4,000 times!). But, across these 120 yearsof performance and notoriety, who on earth has ever raised the question,“Why did the swan have to die?” That is the genius of Toshiki Okada, aninternationally sought-after theater director and playwright, who has repeatedly
returned to New York and Japan Society since his JS-produced U.S. debut tourin 2009. Through collaboration with Okada, Hana Sakai, one of Japan’s leading
prima ballerinas, altered this symbol of early 20th-century classic Westernarts with flying colors. I won’t reveal their smart and funny twist, tapping into asignificant 21st-century social issue—but you will discover it yourselves shortly.
Interestingly, MWMW’s founder/choreographer, Moto Takahashi, was also
trained in classical ballet at a young age. However, ever since she launched her
professional dance career, she has been recognized as an outstanding hip-hoptechnique-oriented dancer—as she exhibited within our program in 2013 as amember of a hip-hop company. It is a pleasure to welcome her back 10 years
later, now as a leader of her own company, consisting of female hip-hop dancers
ranging in age from their 20s to 40s, and delivering an aura of femininity, softness,
warmth and optimism—not typical for hip-hop dance.
I hope you enjoy this transmutation of Western and American dance forms
growing out of the soil in Japan.

Yoko Shioya
Artistic Director

Two North American Premieres

Beyond Ballet,
Beyond Hip-Hop
Encounter
Performed by MWMW
Choreography: Moto Takahashi
Dancers: Atsuyo Kanamori, Yuki Nakatani, Mamiko Oe, Rion Suzuki, Moto Takahashi
Music: Moto Takahashi, including arrangement of Masao Shimada’s recorded
piano performance

The Dying Swan / The Dying Swan and Its Cause of DeathThe Dying Swan
Originally by Michel Fokine, adapted by Hana Sakai
Dancer: Hana Sakai
Cello: Udai Shika
Music: “The Swan,” from The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns

The Dying Swan and Its Cause of Death
Direction / Choreography / Script: Toshiki Okada
Performance: Hana Sakai
Music arrangement / Cello: Udai Shika
Translation: Aya Ogawa
Co-produced by Dance Base Yokohama and Aichi Prefectural Art Theater;
premiered in October 2021 at Aichi Prefectural Art Theater, as part of the“Genealogy of Dance” program.
Produced by Eri Karatsu(Aichi Prefectural Art Theater / Dance Base Yokohama)Stage Manager: Chikage Yuyama
Production Manager: Yoshinori Sekoguchi (Aichi Prefectural Art Theater)
Lighting Design: Masakazu Ito (RYU)
Sound Design: Norimasa Ushikawa
Administrator: Nozomi Tanaka (Dance Base Yokohama)

Program of Beyond Ballet, Beyond Hip-Hop
Sound and Video Engineer: Takaaki Ando
Lighting Design: Asami Morita

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Moto Takahashi (Choreographer, Dancer, Videographer) was born in Nagano
Prefecture, and began studying classical ballet at a young age. In 2013, shestarted to focus on creating her own work. Takahashi has been invited tointernational festivals such as Rencontres Choregraphiques Internationales deSeine-Saint-Denis (Paris), Festival Fabbrica Europa (Firenze) and Movements
sue la vile #8 (Montpellier). In 2017, she established the dance company
MWMW (pronounced moh-ee moh-ee). In 2021, she presented the groupshort work PHANTOM MOCKUMENT at the Yokohama Dance Collection 2021
(Competition I), winning both the Jury Prize and the Kinosaki International Arts
Center Prize. In 2022, she had a residency in Italy with the Crossing the SeaKIAC Exchange Program. Takahashi has also organized omnibus projects called
MWMW NEVER DIES and is committed to supporting the development of young
artists and expanding the dance community. In recent years, she has been
actively working as a videographer. Takahashi previously performed at Japan
Society in 2013 as a member of TOKYO ELECTROCK STAIRS.
Atsuyo Kanamori (Dancer) studied modern dance under Momoyo Onoda
and classical ballet under Yoko Muto and Yumi Yashio from the age of six andstudied contemporary dance upon entering college. She graduated from Japan
Women’s College of Physical Education, majoring in dance. She has performed inworks by Akiyo Fukami, Teita Iwabuchi and Jun Takahashi, and joined MWMW in
2019. She has appeared in music videos and as a backup dancer for Miyakoochi
by Yorushika, Misako Uno (AAA), Ikimono-gakari and others. In recent years,
she has been running S+DanceSpace in Fuchu City, Tokyo, where she teaches
dance to children.
Yuki Nakatani (Dancer) was born in Tokyo. She began studying hip-hop andjazz under Etsuko Kawakami at the age of eight. Since junior high, she hasstudied ballet and hip-hop techniques and diverse forms of expression under
the tutelage of Moto Takahashi. Nakatani has performed in MWMW productions
since 2017. After entering university, she trained in street dance with KENTARO!
and has appeared in his works and videos. In addition, she has performed inworks by W/union, a dance group of the same generation.
Mamiko Oe (Dancer) was born in Tokyo and began her ballet training at theage of six at Unique Ballet Theatre. In 2000, she moved to the U.S. and enrolled
in the dance department of Dean College, where she studied modern danceand classical ballet and graduated at the top of her class. After returning
to Japan, Oe worked with Kim Itoh + Glorious Future in 2003 and joined
the dance company BATIK (led by Ikuyo Kuroda) in 2005. She has had
many performances in Japan and abroad and has performed with TOKYOELECTROCK STAIRS and Dancenorth. In 2022, Oe completed the Ballet
Safety Instructor Certification Professional Course.
Rion Suzuki (Dancer) began studying modern ballet at the age of three. Aftermoving to Tokyo, she studied contemporary and modern dance at Miyako
Kato Dance Space under Miyako Kato and Kota Kihara. Suzuki focused on
improvisation during her university studies, and an improvisational approachpersists through her current dance activities. In her delicate movements,
Suzuki exudes a genderless physicality. Suzuki has won many national
competitions in both solo and group dance. She was a finalist in the Yokohama
Dance Collection 2023 Competition II. She was also a back-up dancer for
Wednesday’s Campanella Live and has performed in works by MWMW and
Aya Terasoma. In addition to her dance performance work, Suzuki choreographs
for music videos and teaches dance.
MWMW was founded by dancer and choreographer Moto Takahashi in 2017.
The company’s vision is to create an “alternative dance” that condenses theexpressions and techniques that Takahashi has cultivated over the years,
emphasizing characterization and relationships between characters, merging
the real and imaginary worlds to create a new worldview. MWMW also focus
on the production of video works, studying methods of expression and visual
beauty and aesthetics that differ from live performance, creating a morediverse range of expression. The company also performs as the dance group
MWNOS and won the Grand Prix at the Kanagawa Short Play Award 2022 withROBIN.
Toshiki Okada (Director) is a playwright, novelist and director of chelfitsch,originally from Yokohama. Okada’s play Five Days in March won the 49th
Kishida Drama Award. His 2007 anthology The End of the Special Time We
Were Allowed won the 2nd Kenzaburo Oe Award. He won the 72nd Yomiuri
Literary Award for Plays and Scenarios for his collection of plays, Unexplored
Unfulfilled Ghost and Monster - “Zaha” and “Tsuruga.” Japan Society haspresented or co-produced many of Okada’s works, including Five Days in
March in 2009, Hot Pepper, Air Conditioner and the Farewell Speech in 2012,

God Bless Baseball in 2016 and Time’s Journey Through a Room in 2018(presented offsite in collaboration with PlayCo).
Hana Sakai (Performer) studied classical ballet under Toshiaki Hatasa. After
joining the Tachibana Ballet School and the Asami Maki Ballet Company, she
moved to the New National Theatre Ballet as the lead dancer in 1997, when
the company was founded. Since 2013, she has been working with Yasutake
Shimaji on collaborative projects in a performance unit called Altneu. Sakai
received the Minister of Education’s Art Encouragement Prize and the Excellent
Award of the Tachibana Akiko Award, among others. She was awarded theMedal with Purple Ribbon in 2017.
Udai Shika (Cellist) is a folkloric cellist who works in a variety of genres
including rock, pop, jazz, classical and improvised music. Shika is one of the
top string arrangers in Japan’s commercial music scene. In 2019, he released
the solo album The Valley of the Sun, including an interpretation of Bach’s six
unaccompanied Cello Suites. In 2023, Shika and Rie Takeuchi released theirfirst album Minimalism as the group minimalengine.

JAPAN SOCIETY SUPPORTERS (as of March 31, 2024)$100,000 and above$25,000 - $49,999

Booth Ferris Foundation
Citi
Daikin U.S. Corporation
Mrs. Miyoko Davey*
Deloitte
Mr. Keishi Hotsuki
IBM Corporation
The Japan Foundation
MetLife Foundation
Mizuho Americas
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
ORIX Corporation
ToyotaXcoal Energy & Resources

Anonymous
Bain Capital
Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Daiwa Capital Markets
America Holdings Inc.
E. Rhodes and Leona B.
Carpenter Foundation
Element Capital Management
LLC
Ernst & Young LLP
Hogan Lovells
ITO EN (North America) INC.
ITOCHU International Inc.
JPMorgan Chase
Jun Makihara
KPMG LLP
Marubeni America
Corporation
Mayer Brown LLP
MetLifeMr. Toby S. Myerson
Nezu Asia CapitalManagement LLC
Nippon Steel North America,Inc.
PJT Partners
PwC
Shiseido Americas
Joshua and Geula Solomon
The STARR Foundation
Suntory America Inc.
United States-JapanFoundation$75,000 - $99,999
AIG
Mastercard
Mitsubishi Corporation(Americas)
Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc.
S&P Global
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Sumitomo Corporation ofAmericas$50,000 - $74,999
David Polk & Wardwell LLP
Government of Japan
Howard Gilman Foundation*
Morgan Stanley
MUJI North America
New York City Department ofCultural Affairs
Nomura America Foundation
Doug and Teresa Peterson*
Sompo International
Sony Corporation of America
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking
Corporation
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank,
Limited
Tokio Marine Delphi CapitalManagement$15,000 - $24,999
Anonymous
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Mr. and Mrs. Randall
ChafetzJDR
Consulate General of Japanin New York
Cornell Capital
Peggy and Dick Danziger
Mr. Philip M. Darivoff/ Vibrant
Capital Partners, Inc.
DBJ Americas Inc.

Emick MediaThe Fan Fox and Leslie R.
Samuels Foundation, Inc.*
Fujisankei Communications
International, Inc.
Ms. Tomoko Hamada-Dougan
The JEC Fund*
Kohn Pedersen Fox
Associates PC
Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Monstarlab Americas
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Omotesenke Domonkai
Eastern Region US
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Drucker
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Empire Entertainment Japan, Inc.
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The Globus Family*Mark F. Goldfield and Mary E.
HatchJDR
Hisamitsu America, Inc.*
Merit E. JanowM
Mr. Reuben Jeffery III
JETRO New York
Ms. Eri Kakuta
Kikkoman Corporation
Mr. Gary J. Kozlowski
Mr. Alan S. MacDonald
Marathon Capital

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
America, Inc.
Mitsubishi UFJ Trust andBanking Corporation
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
NY LLPMUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ
Financial Group)
MUFG Investor Services, U.S.
Satoru and Hiroko Murase
Nagashima Ohno &Tsuematsu NY LLP
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Paul Hastings LLP
Ms. Donna Sternberg
Mr. Donald J. Toumey$5,000 - $9,999
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Anonymous
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Becker, Glynn, Muffly, Chassin &Hosinski LLP
Central Japan Railway Company
Coqui-san LLC
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Fred EychanerFast Retailing
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Heald
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Japan Bank for International
Cooperation
Japan Local Government Center
Japan National Tourism
Organization
The Jim Henson Foundation*
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Meiji Yasuda America
Incorporated
Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc.
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America, Inc.

Mitsui Sumitomo Marine
Management (U.S.A.), Inc.
MoloLamken LLP
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Nikko Asset Management
Americas, Inc.
Mishimura & Asahi NY LLPThe Norinchukin Bank
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David and Susan Rockefeller
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SENN Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc.
Sumitomo Chemical America,
Inc.
T&D Insurance GroupDr. Jeanette C. Takamura*
Tokai Tokyo Securities (USA), Inc.
Toray Industries (America), Inc.
Toyota Tsusho America, Inc.
TV Asahi America, Inc.
Nancy and Joe Walker*
Dr. and Mrs. Joshua W. Walker$2,000 - $4,999
Shin and Maho Abe
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.
Ms. Ayumi Arafune
Darin Arita and Kanako Arita
Barbara Bertozzi Castelli
Mr. Robert Cory and
Mr. Shuichiro Takeda
Mrs. Jane B. DeBevoise
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLPFreshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
Brendan and Jenifer Garvey
Mr. Steven Giordano and
Ms. Luisa Bertoli
Professor Carol Gluck
Harkness Foundation for Dance*
Professor Keiko Honda
David S. HoweMr. Timothy J. Hower
J.C.C. Fund of the JapaneseChamber of Commerce andIndustry
Dale A. Jenkins and Sandra
Panem
Kajima U.S.A. Inc.
Kaneka Americas Holding, Inc.
Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc.

Akiko Koide and Shohei Koide
Frodo and Sam Krull
Kyodo News America, Inc.
Mrs. Jane Lombard
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Mitsui Chemicals America, Inc.
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Mitsukoshi (U.S.A.), Inc.
Monex Group, Inc.
NHK General Bureau for America
Nikon Inc.
Nippon Life Group
Nitto, Inc.
Kenneth O’Friel
Hiroko Onoyama*
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Ms. Dharshini Iolanthe
Sivakumaran
Mr. Eugene E. Reilly and
Ms. Marlene Rosenthal
Anne Robinson
The Saison Foundation
Sapporo U.S.A.
Mr. Frederick H. Schultz, Jr. and
Ms. Carole Aoki
Paul and Yoshiko Sheard
Sidley Austin LLP
Ms. Robin B. Stern
Estate of Alan M. Suhonen*
Dr. and Mrs. Carl F. Taeusch II*
Mr. David Toberisky
TOKYU HOTELS CO., LTD.
Well Go USA, Inc.

$1,000 - $1,999
Jono Abrams and Elizabeth Linn
Ms. Hope Aldrich and Michael B.
Jeffers
Anonymous (3)Mike Audet and Saki Tanaka
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Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Catanzaro
Jim Chervenak
Mr. David C. Chou*
Mr. Seth Coren and Yana Coren
Mrs. Anne N. Jones Dawson
Harry Dreizen
Mr. Stuart Eisenkraft andMs. Marilyn Hoffman

Japan Society has received
matching gifts from thefollowing companies:

THE JOHN AND MIYOKO DAVEY CLASSIC FILM SERIES

Ameriprise Financial
Services
Apollo Global Management,
Inc.
BNY Mellon
Bloomberg Philanthropies
The Capital Group
Companies
Caterpillar Foundation
Google Inc.
HSBC USA. Inc.
IAC Group North America, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
JPMorgan Chase
MasterCard
McGraw Hill
McKinsey & Company
MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ
Financial Group)
Pokémon USA
S&P Global
Texas Instruments

PART II: THE POSTWAR AND INDEPENDENT YEARSSarah Billinghurst Solomon*
Michael W. Sonnenfeldt and Katja
B. Goldman
Dr. Patricia M. Sovern
Estate of Alan M. Suhonen*
Kiyoka Tanaka
Nora and David Tezanos
Mr. David Toberisky
Estate of Shinichiro Torii
Grant Vingoe and Nancy
Matsumoto
Mr. Shuji Yagi andMrs. Tomoko Yagi

PART I: THE SHOCHIKU YEARS

Brendan and Jenifer Garvey
Mr. Steven Glass
Jennifer Gordon and Richard
Shanley*
Wendy and Leeds Gulick
Ms. Patricia Hallstein and
Mr. Axel Kramer
Ms. Vivian Hanson
Ms. Tracey Hecht andMr. David Smilow
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Heffner
Mr. George P. Hirose
Glenn Hubbard
Ms. Kathy and Mr. Mitchell
JacobsonDr. Bic Kanayjorn
Ms. Pamela Keld andMr. Mark Imhof
Airi Kohlbach and Griffin Smith*
Ms. Ichun Lai
Paula S. Lawrence*
Monica and Edward Lenci
Mr. Leonard M. Levie*
Ms. Sarah Lubman
Mr. Marc Mailhot
Ms. Yoko Makino
Victoria Melendez
Joan B. Mirviss
Etsuko O. Morris
Miyeko Murase
Marjorie Neuwirth
The Nomura Foundation*
Yoko Okamoto and James
Dell’Olio
Pamela Perlman*
Indre and Justin Rockefeller
Ronin Gallery NYC
Mr. Jonathan Rouner and
Ms. Katrin Rouner
Mr. Bradley Smith and
Ms. Mami Tsuchiya

MAY 4 - JUNE 1, 2024
AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
AND JAPAN SOCIETY*Japan Society acknowledges
with gratitude the generous
donors who contribute
specifically to the Performing
Arts Program and projects.
M
Japan Society gratefully
acknowledges donors who
have had their contributions
matched by their employer.

Member of the John D.
Rockefeller 3rd Society,individuals who have named
Japan Society as a beneficiaryof their future estates.

JDR

This list includes contributions
received between April 1, 2023
and March 31, 2024, exclusive of
in-kind contributions and support
for the Annual Dinner.

To become a Japan Society member or support the Performing
Arts Program or other programs, please contact
membership@japansociety.org or (212) 715-1270.
CO-ORGANIZED BYMUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE,
JAPAN SOCIETY,
THE NATIONAL FILM ARCHIVE OF JAPAN,
AND THE JAPAN FOUNDATION, NEW YORK
MOVINGIMAGE .ORG | JAPANSOCIETY.ORG

JAPAN SOCIETY STAFF FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMPRESIDENT & CEO:

Joshua W. Walker, Ph.D.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:

Yoko Shioya

PERFORMING ARTS:

Futoshi Miyai, Director of Productions & Technical Management
Karin Yamamoto, Senior Program Officer
Padraic Costello, Program Officer
Io Ermoli, Intern
Francis Feng, Intern
Yuko Kawasaki, Intern

DEVELOPMENT:Gregory Corsico, Chief Development Officer
Kimberly Woodward, Senior Director, Operations
Todd Nicholson, Director, Major Gifts
Nozomi Iizuka, Director, Corporate Partnerships
Akane Ohara, Officer, Corporate Partnerships
Pauline Fan Bu, Associate, Corporate Partnerships
Sandy Zheng, Associate, Corporate Partnerships
Mika Nagasaki, Director, Foundation & Government Relations
Ann Niehoff, Development Officer
Jamie Hook, Officer, Foundation & Government Relations
Paige Jones, Development Associate, Foundation & Government Relations
Nicholas Bianchi, Manager, Development Operations
Taina Rodriguez, Development Associate, Operations
Brandy Wang, Associate, Donor Engagement

MEDIA & MARKETING:

Ben Warren, Director, Media & Marketing
Cynthia Sternau, Managing Editor & Archivist
Erica Ohmi, Graphic Designer
Nestor Martinez, Senior Website Manager
Kazuho Yamamoto, Marketing & Communications Manager
Camille Miller, Direct Marketing & Social Media Assistant Manager

HOUSE OPERATIONS:

Lydia Gulick, Director, Program Operations
Tatum Alli, Rental Event Manager
Carmen Ben, Manager, House Activities

CONSULTANTS:PRODUCTION STAFF:

Keiko Kato, Esq., Law Offices of Keiko Kato, Legal Counsel
Takaaki Ando, Sound & AV Engineer
Marie Yokoyama, Ayumu “Poe” Saegusa, Tsubasa Kamei, Resident
Lighting Designers

Cover: MWMW – Encounter (ENCOUNT ENCA)© Kazuyuki Matsumoto
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