Nami Yamamoto, originally from
Matsuyama, Japan, graduated from New York University in 1993 with a MA in Dance
Education. Since then her work has been presented in New York and elsewhere:
Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Dance Theater Workshop, Danspace Project, P.S. 122,
Movement Research at Judson Church, Dancing in the Streets at Wave Hill, The
Kitchen (Dance in Progress), Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (Inside/Out),
Community Education Center and Philadelphia Museum of the Art in Philadelphia,
Studio 303 in Montreal, UC Irvine, Dance Studio Moga in Japan and most recently
Contemporary Dance Festival Free Dance in Ukraine.
Her work has been funded by Puffin Foundation, Creative
Capital, Manhattan Community Arts Fund from Lower Manhattan Cultural Council,
Jim Henson Foundation, and Suitcase Fund from Dance Theater Workshop. She has
been nurtured and inspired by her residency experience at Asian Pacific
Performance Exchange in UCLA, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Movement
Research, Dance Wave in Matsuyama Japan, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Summer Theater
Lab in UC Santa Barbara and Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography.
In 2006, her work was commissioned by Saint Joseph Ballet and she
choreographed a 30 minute piece for 40 teenagers in the school.
She has also been nurtured and inspired by collaboration works
with Joyce S. Lim and received Space grants from Union Street Dance, 92nd Street Y and SUNY Purchase for In/Flux in 2003.
In 2005, she traveled in Malaysia to explore with local artists in
Penang.
For teaching credit, she taught Master Classes at
University of California Irvine, Ehime University, Matsuyama University, Dance
Wave, Dance Studio Moga in Japan, University of Penang and Malaysian Dance
Festival in Malaysia. She also taught a creative movement class for children at
MASS MoCA and Brooklyn New School. Through her most recent work, a howling
flower, she has been teaching a puppetry/dance workshop with her
collaborators, Matthew Acheson (puppet creator/puppeteer/performer) and Deana
Acheson (puppetry advisor) at various venues, such as Sara Lawrence College,
Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography at Florida State University,
Contemporary Dance Festival Free Dance in Ukraine and The New York Robotics and
Home Automation MeetUp Group.
As a dancer, she has enjoyed working with wonderful
choreographers such as Yoshiko Chuma, David Dorfman, Patricia Hoffbauer,
Clarinda Mac Low, Victoria Marks, David Neumann, Sara Pearson & Patrik
Widrig, Karen Sherman, Cydney Wilkes, Christopher Williams, Yasuko Yokoshi and
many others. In 2004, she debuted as a puppeteer in Dan Hurlin’s Hiroshima
Maiden, which toured in 2005-2006. She also performed for Lake Simon’s
puppet piece, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at Here Art Center.
Currently, she serves as an artistic
advisory member of Danspace Project.
Maggie Allesee
