Artists & Projects Directory
Yasuko Yokoshi
Masumi Seyama (Co-Choreographer/Co-Director)
Masumi
Seyama is the head of the Seyama Dance Family and leading teacher and
practitioner of Kanjyuro Fujima's dance tradition. Ms. Seyama's brother-in-law,
Kanjyuro Fujima VI (1900-1990), a Japanese Living National Treasure, was one of
the most celebrated Kabuki dance choreographers in 20th Century Japan.
He was known for refining Kabuki "Su-odori"
(translated as "naked dance") into an art form with bare and subtle dance
movements that are simultaneously expressive, deep and profound. When
she succeeded the dance-family name
at age 15, Ms. Seyama started assisting Kanjyuro's choreographic process; she
worked with him through his prime, and notated all his dance repertories. She
is widely considered one of the few remaining heirs of the late Kanjyuro
Fujima's dance works. Ms. Seyama co-choreographed what we when we with Yasuko Yokoshi in 2005.
Julie Alexander (Dancer)
Originally
from Houston, TX,
Julie Alexander graduated from Washington
University in St.
Louis and currently lives in Brooklyn,
NY. She has worked with many
great dance artists such as Beth Gill, Miguel Gutierrez, Trajal Harrell, Anna
Sperber, Michou Szabo and Donna Uchizono. Her own choreographic work has been
presented by AUNTS and Body Blend at Dixon
Place. In addition to working with Yasuko Yokoshi,
she is currently dancing with Antonietta Vicario.
Naoki Asaji (Actor)
Naoki
Asaji was born and currently lives and works in Tokyo, Japan.
He joined the Seyama Dance Family in 1988. He has presented his solo dances at
the Seyama Dance School,
performing major classic repertories choreographed by Kanjyuro Fujima, such as Fujimusume, Yasuna and Matsu no Midori.
Asaji has also performed in numerous stage productions with the Bungakuk-za
Theater Company since 1994. He is a founding member of the Comedy on the Board,
which was founded by the acclaimed Japanese comedian Maruse Taro in 2002. He
also appeared in TV dramas and feature films such as Last Dance by Hiroshi Mukai; Yokai
Daisenso (Monster War) by Hiroshi Miike; Flying Bird by Koyama Takashi; and And I by Koji Kobayashi.
Kayvon Pourazar (Dancer)
Kayvon
Pourazar is of Persian origin, and was raised in Iran,
Turkey and England. He
graduated with a BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase in May 2000. He has performed
in the works of John Jasperse Company, Levi Gonzalez, Beth Gill, Donna Uchizono
Company, Jennifer Monson, Doug Varone and Dancers, Gwen Welliver, K.J. Holmes,
Wil Swanson/ DANCEWORKS, Gabriel Masson Dance and Malashock Dance and Company,
and in The Metropolitan Opera productions of Les Troyens and Le Sacre de
Printemps. He has taught dance as a guest artist at Sacramento State
University, 92 Street Y,
The Whitney Museum at Altria, and Doug Varone and Dancers Summer Workshops.
Pourazar's work has been shown in New York City
at The Whitney Museum, P.S 122, The Cunningham Studios, Center for Performance
& Research and Dixon Place;
and at Sacramento's
Shasta Hall.
Kuniya Sawamura (Kabuki
Actor/Dancer)
Kuniya Sawamura began his dance training with Masumi Seyama at age
thirteen. He joined the Tojyuro Sawamura family as a Kabuki actor/dancer in
1995. He has appeared in numerous Kabuki productions including Heisei-Nakamuraza, presented at the
Lincoln Center Festival in 2004 and 2007, and Chikamatsu-za, with Ganjiro Nakamura in a Russian, Korean, and U.S. tour from
2003-2005. As an exceptional dancer, he has been given major roles in Kabuki
dance repertories such as Bo-shibari,
Sukeroku, and Ayatsuri-Sanbaso, which have been presented annually at Kabuki
Forum at Edo-Tokyo
Museum. In 2006, Sawamura
collaborated with Yasuko Yokoshi on her full-evening work, what we when we, leading a three-week intensive training residency
for the ensemble at the Maggie Allesee National
Center for Choreography (Florida State University). Tyler Tyler is
his first performance in a contemporary dance work.
Kayo Seyama
(Nihon-Buyoka/Japanese Traditional Dancer/Teacher)
Over 50
years, Kayo Seyama has devoted her life to assisting Masumi Seyama in the
preservation of Kanjyuro Fujima's dance tradition. Born in Ishikawa,
Japan, Seyama joined the school of Kanyakko Fujima at age four to study
Fujima style traditional Japanese dance.
In 1965, she joined the school
of Masumi Seyama as the
first apprentice. Seyama was given the "Natori" certificate, and also became a
certified teacher of Fujima style Japanese dance in 1967. She later opened her
own school in Kanazawa.
She has performed numerous major dance repertories by Kanjyuro Fujima, such as Sagimusume and Oiso Hakkei, and performed at the Kabuki-za for Fujima-kai in 1997,
celebrating Fujima Family dance tradition. Tyler Tyler marks the
first time she has traveled abroad to perform with American dancers.