Akiko Tokuoka

Akiko Tokuoka (德岡亜希子) is a Kyoto-born dancer and choreographer based in New York City.
She is trained and accomplished in multiple dance genres including classical ballet, Jazz dance|jazz, modern, hip hop, freestyle, and vogue which earned her peer recognition in The Ballroom Community and membership in the Willi Ninja-founded Legendary House of Ninja, under the sobriquet KiT Ninja.
Akiko’s media recognition includes IMDb, Broadway World, Dazed, The Lifestyle Republic, Full Access NYC, Tokyo Dance Magazine, PopImpressKA, and NY Japion.
==Life and career==
Akiko Tokuoka was born in Kyoto, Japan and spent her childhood in Japan’s cultural capital surrounded by centuries-old Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces and gardens, spending her childhood in Japan’s cultural capital surrounded by centuries-old Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces and gardens. She trained in traditional Japanese dance as well as baton-twirling while also fascinated with global pop culture. After graduating from Ryukoku University, she began touring Japan as a nightclub performer in and as a backup dancer with J-Pop Idol Rina Aiuchi.
In 2004 Akiko relocated to NYC, where she works as a teacher dancer, and choreographer.
==Akim Funk Buddha Productions==
Akiko Tokuoka played a lead role in Akim Funk Buddha Productions from 2006-2010. She was lead dancer, performing as “Funky Geisha,” for their critically acclaimed production “Urban Tea Ceremony” which was performed at multiple-sites including Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, La MaMa Theatre, and Queens Museum. She performed as a solo dancer in Akim Funk Buddha Productions’ “Bali Spirit Festival” at the Purnati Center for the Arts in Indonesia.
==Legendary House of Ninja==
Akiko Tokuoka, also known as KiT Ninja, is a prominent member of the Legendary House of Ninja since 2009. She is the first Asian and Japanese member and one of the very few non-native New York members of the House. 
Akiko stars in the video productions of “House of Xmas” and “The House Of Ninja: Vogue Ballroom Dancers” and on 2010 coordinated the House of Ninja two month, three city, Japan Tour. .
She continues to perform and lecture with House of Ninja in events including Madonna 2012 Super Bowl Halftime Show, and NAACP national conventions.
==Dance and Choreography==
Akiko is a dancer with the interdisciplinary Brooklyn Ballet company since 2021 and her original choreography is featured in their showcases and performances.
She is lead in-house dancer and choreographer for BATSU! NYC dinner-theater company since 2019. 
Akiko produces performance art that celebrates cultural diversity and challenges gender norms. Integrating classic Japanese elements such as Kabuki with Hip Hop and Glam, her work reimagines Asian culture and folklore in the context of contemporary Queer Theory. Her work has been funded by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, New York Foundation for the Arts, Queens Council on the Arts (QCA) and staged to full houses.
==Honors and awards==
* 2022 NYC Department of Cultural Affairs - Queens Council on the Arts, 2022 Queens Arts Fund New Works Grant
* 2021 New York Foundation for the Arts City Artists Corps Grant
==Works==
Selected Original Works by Akiko Tokuoka:
* 2022 Wakashu - Timeless Beauty of The Third Gender – troupe (The Secret Theatre))
* 2022 Arena - solo and duet versions – Brooklyn Ballet 20th Anniversary (City Point Brooklyn)
* 2022 Unnatural Surrounding - One of Selected Solo Pieces by Members of Brooklyn Ballet in collaboration with poet Jasmine Mans at Mark O'Donnell Theater at Entertainment Community Fund Arts Center
* 2021 Tanabata – troupe (BATSU! NYC) 
* 2021 Tanabata – solo (Theatre for the New City)
* 2018 East Meets West – solo (Theatre for the New City)
* 2017 Calligraphy and Kyoto Culture (Queens Museum)
Selected Credits Include:
* 2023-2019 BATSU! NYC
* 2022 The Brooklyn Nutcracker, Brooklyn Ballet (Kings Theatre)
* 2021 The 1619 Project dance for Nikole Hannah Jones book launch (BAM)
* 2021 The Brooklyn Nutcracker, Brooklyn Ballet (Kings Theatre)
* 2021 Brooklyn Ballet at Highline Nine, (The Highline)
* 2021 At the Intersection: An Open Culture Performance!, Brooklyn Ballet (Downtown Brooklyn)
* 2019 Pride Party at PEM (Peabody Essex Museum)
* 2018 Vogueing: Celebrating NYC Black Pride at the Museum (Museum of Sex)
* 2018 Vogueing: Celebrating Freedom at the Museum (Museum of Sex)
* 2018 Paparazzi (Music Video), Lovari 
* 2017 Warlovers, James Doyle-Klier (Theatre Row)
* 2017 Ninja Ballet, Shoko Tamai (The Tank)
* 2015 Jyou en - Of Burning Desire, Lee Douglas (Theatre for the New City)
* 2014 The House of Roderick Presents “Kyoto Dream” (Theatre 80 St. Mark's)
* 2012 Brooklyn Ballet At Ten: Revolutionaries and Romantics (Actors Fund Art Center)
* 2009 Urban Tea Ceremony, Akim Funk Buddha Production, (Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, La MaMa Theatre, and Queens Museum)
* 2007 Victor Woo - The Average Asian American, Kevin So (Fringe NYC)
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Category:People from Kyoto
Category:Japanese people
Category:Ryukoku University alumni
Category:Dancers
Category:Choreographers
Category:Hip hop dancers