Niji no Conquistador (虹のコンキスタドール, Niji no Konkisutadōru; Rainbow Conquistador) is a Japanese girl group formed in 2014.…Niji no Conquistador (虹のコンキスタドール, Niji no Konkisutadōru; Rainbow Conquistador) is a Japanese girl group formed in 2014. The group's themes are illustration, cosplay, and voice acting. It was originally managed by the illustration website Pixiv as a part of the Tsukudol! Project (つくドル！プロジェクト, Tsukudoru! Purojekuto) before passing to Dear Stage.
Hikari Shimizu (清水ひかり, Shimizu Hikari; born April 22, 1993) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a…Hikari Shimizu (清水ひかり, Shimizu Hikari; born April 22, 1993) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotions Actwres girl'Z and Pro Wrestling Wave.
Akiko Suzuki (鈴木 明子, Suzuki Akiko) (born March 28, 1985) is a Japanese figure skating choreographer and retired…Akiko Suzuki (鈴木 明子, Suzuki Akiko) (born March 28, 1985) is a Japanese figure skating choreographer and retired competitive figure skater. She is the 2012 World Championships bronze medalist, a three-time Grand Prix Final medalist (2011 silver, 2009 & 2012 bronze), a two-time Four Continents silver medalist (2010, 2013), the 2007 Winter Universiade champion, and the 2013 Japanese national champion. She placed eighth at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.
Rino Nakasone (仲宗根 梨乃, Nakasone Rino; born June 11, 1979) is a Japanese dancer, choreographer, artistic director and…Rino Nakasone (仲宗根 梨乃, Nakasone Rino; born June 11, 1979) is a Japanese dancer, choreographer, artistic director and actor. Nakasone and her dance crew, Beat Freaks, participated in the third season of America's Best Dance Crew, where they finished in second place. Nakasone has worked as a choreographer in South Korea and Japan, working with groups such as Shinee, Girls' Generation, TVXQ, f(x), Red Velvet, and SMAP.
Kenichi Ebina (蛯名 健一, Ebina Ken'ichi; born May 25, 1974) is a Japanese performance artist who is best known for winning…Kenichi Ebina (蛯名 健一, Ebina Ken'ichi; born May 25, 1974) is a Japanese performance artist who is best known for winning the eighth season of America's Got Talent on September 18, 2013. His solo act, labeled 'dance-ish' by Ebina, features his unique self-taught style which combines acting, storytelling, and a number of different dance styles, including freestyle, hip-hop, mime, martial arts, jazz, and ethnic dance. He frequently interacts with characters on a video screen behind him, who have all been created and played by himself.
Yuka Sato (佐藤 有香, Satō Yuka; born February 14, 1973) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater and choreographer.…Yuka Sato (佐藤 有香, Satō Yuka; born February 14, 1973) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater and choreographer. She is the 1994 World champion, the 1990 World Junior champion and the 1993 & 1994 Japanese national champion. She placed 7th at the 1992 Winter Olympics and 5th at the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Nanami Abe (阿部 奈々美, Abe Nanami; born November 11, 1972) is a Japanese figure skating coach and choreographer. She…Nanami Abe (阿部 奈々美, Abe Nanami; born November 11, 1972) is a Japanese figure skating coach and choreographer. She studied under Hiroshi Nagakubo, and coached Yuzuru Hanyu. She has choreographed routines for many skaters, including Daisuke Takahashi, Tatsuki Machida, and Akiko Suzuki.
Tetsuya "Teddy" Kumakawa (熊川 哲也, Kumakawa Tetsuya; born 5 March 1972) is a Japanese ballet dancer and a former…Tetsuya "Teddy" Kumakawa (熊川 哲也, Kumakawa Tetsuya; born 5 March 1972) is a Japanese ballet dancer and a former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet.
Ken Maeda (前田 健, Maeda Ken; 14 June 1971 – 26 April 2016) was a Japanese comedian, impressionist, actor and…Ken Maeda (前田 健, Maeda Ken; 14 June 1971 – 26 April 2016) was a Japanese comedian, impressionist, actor and choreographer. He was nicknamed Maeken (まえけん). Maeda was born in Suginami, Tokyo. He was represented with K Dash Stage. Maeda graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Agricultural High School. At the same school, his senior was Taizo Harada of the comedy trio Neptune.
Kaba-chan (KABA.ちゃん), born on June 19, 1969, in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, is a transgender woman who is a Japanese tarento and…Kaba-chan (KABA.ちゃん), born on June 19, 1969, in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, is a transgender woman who is a Japanese tarento and choreographer. After studying dance in New York City, she returned to Japan and was a member of the musical group Dos with Taeco Nishikawa and Asami Yoshino.
Mihoko Higuchi (樋口美穂子, Higuchi Mihoko; born May 13, 1969) is a Japanese figure skating coach, choreographer, and former…Mihoko Higuchi (樋口美穂子, Higuchi Mihoko; born May 13, 1969) is a Japanese figure skating coach, choreographer, and former competitive figure skater.
Hiroshi Suzuki (鈴木 寛, Suzuki Hiroshi; born 29 June 1966 in Higashikurume, Tokyo), better known by his stage name Papaya…Hiroshi Suzuki (鈴木 寛, Suzuki Hiroshi; born 29 June 1966 in Higashikurume, Tokyo), better known by his stage name Papaya Suzuki (パパイヤ鈴木, Papaiya Suzuki), is a Japanese celebrity most famous for his dancing and for his afro hairstyle. He originally intended to be a singer, but gave up due to a drastic gain in weight. According to his official web site, he is 178 cm tall, and weighs 108 kg. He is now a choreographer and dancer, and he is a member of the dancing group Oyaji dancers, where oyaji is a faintly derogatory Japanese word literally meaning "dad" but also used for middle-aged men in general. He also works as an actor, a lyricist, and a songwriter, as well as arranging and producing music. Suzuki made a brief appearance as a dancer in the video for the song O! O! Xsta Si ( Boom Boom Love ) by the J-pop group Deeps. He was the choreographer for one of AKB48's biggest hits: "Koisuru Fortune Cookie" (2013).
Kenya Ōsumi (大澄 賢也, Ōsumi Ken'ya; born October 26, 1965 in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese dancer…Kenya Ōsumi (大澄 賢也, Ōsumi Ken'ya; born October 26, 1965 in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese dancer, and singer. He was married to singer Rumiko Koyanagi between 1989 and 2000.
Saburo Teshigawara (勅使川原 三郎, Teshigawara Saburō; born 1953) is a Japanese choreographer and dancer who was born in…Saburo Teshigawara (勅使川原 三郎, Teshigawara Saburō; born 1953) is a Japanese choreographer and dancer who was born in Tokyo and became known for founding a company named KARAS along with Kei Miyata in 1985. On September 12, 2013, he performed Mirror and Music at the Kennedy Center which was highly praised by the London Evening Standard. He is teaching at Tama Art University department of Scenography Design, Drama, and Dance as a professor.
Ushio Amagatsu (天児 牛大, Amagatsu Ushio; 31 December 1949 – 25 March 2024) was a Japanese choreographer known as the…Ushio Amagatsu (天児 牛大, Amagatsu Ushio; 31 December 1949 – 25 March 2024) was a Japanese choreographer known as the leader of the Butoh dance group Sankai Juku, which he founded in 1975.
Yutaka Higuchi (樋口 豊, Higuchi Yutaka; born September 20, 1949 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese figure skater who is now a…Yutaka Higuchi (樋口 豊, Higuchi Yutaka; born September 20, 1949 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese figure skater who is now a coach and figure skating commentator. He is a three-time Japanese national champion. He placed 25th in the 1968 Winter Olympic Games, and 16th in the 1972 Winter Olympic Games.
Haruhiko Yamanouchi (山内 春彦, Yamanouchi Haruhiko; born 20 April 1946), also known as Hal Yamanouchi (ハル・ヤマノウチ, Haru…Haruhiko Yamanouchi (山内 春彦, Yamanouchi Haruhiko; born 20 April 1946), also known as Hal Yamanouchi (ハル・ヤマノウチ, Haru Yamanouchi), is a Japanese-Italian actor, voice artist, dancer, choreographer, stunt performer, essayist and former mime. Born in Tokyo, he has resided in Italy since 1975 and holds Italian citizenship. Beginning his career as a mime, he has performed in and choreographed for numerous stage productions. Since 1976, he has acted in over 100 films and television series, including several 1980s genre films directed by the likes of Sergio Martino, Ruggero Deodato and Enzo G. Castellari. He is best known to international audiences for his villainous supporting roles in Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Wolverine. He has also translated and dubbed Japanese-language films into Italian.
Akira Kasai (1943) is a Japanese butoh dancer and choreographer, who despite being significantly younger than mentors…Akira Kasai (1943) is a Japanese butoh dancer and choreographer, who despite being significantly younger than mentors Kazuo Ohno and Tatsumi Hijikata, is considered to be pioneers of the art form along with them. Kasai trained in other forms of dance, but turned to butoh in the 1960s when he met and began to work with these two men. He started his own studio in 1971 but closed it in 1979 to move and study Eurythmy in Germany. He did not dance professionally at the time and for years after his return to Japan in 1986 he stayed off the stage stating that he felt too disconnected from Japanese society to perform. He returned to professional dance in 1994, with the work Saraphita and revived his studio Tenshi kan, now influenced by Eurythmy and other dance principles. He has since performed, choreographed and taught in Asia, the Americas and Europe, but his choreography is sufficiently different from most other butoh that its authenticity has been questioned.
Shunji Fujimura (藤村 俊二, Fujimura Shunji; December 8, 1934 – January 25, 2017) was a Japanese actor from Kamakura…Shunji Fujimura (藤村 俊二, Fujimura Shunji; December 8, 1934 – January 25, 2017) was a Japanese actor from Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. He appeared in the second series of Monkey as the horse. He appeared in the Death Note live-action movie as Quillsh Wammy A.K.A. Watari.
Tatsumi Hijikata (土方 巽, Hijikata Tatsumi; March 9, 1928 – January 21, 1986) was a Japanese choreographer, and the…Tatsumi Hijikata (土方 巽, Hijikata Tatsumi; March 9, 1928 – January 21, 1986) was a Japanese choreographer, and the founder of a genre of dance performance art called Butoh. By the late 1960s, he had begun to develop this dance form, which is highly choreographed with stylized gestures drawn from his childhood memories of his northern Japan home. It is this style which is most often associated with Butoh by Westerners.
Michio Itō (伊藤 道郎, Itō Michio; 13 April 1892 – 6 November 1961) was a Japanese dancer who developed his own…Michio Itō (伊藤 道郎, Itō Michio; 13 April 1892 – 6 November 1961) was a Japanese dancer who developed his own choreography style in Europe and America. He was the son of Kimiye Iijima and architect Tamekichi Ito who was educated at the University of Washington; he was one of nine children, and the brother of director Koreya Senda.
Hiroshi Koike (小池博史 Koike Hiroshi born on 25 January 1956, in Japan) is a Japanese director, playwright and…Hiroshi Koike (小池博史 Koike Hiroshi born on 25 January 1956, in Japan) is a Japanese director, playwright and choreographer. After his former performing arts company Pappa TARAHUMARA was dissolved in 2012, he formed the Hiroshi Koike Bridge Project (HKBP). In June, 2023, they added the word, Odyssey, to the organization's name to reflect the director's vision of creating art - Hiroshi Koike Bridge Project -Odyssey. He has conducted physical acting training workshops based on his original method titled “slow movement” all over the world. Up to date, Hiroshi Koike has directed 55 works with Pappa TARAHUMARA and 36 works with Hiroshi Koike Bridge Project -Odyssey.
