Dance Artist/Co-Choreographer, Noh Art (Living National Treasure)

REIJIRO TSUMURA

Trained in the classical Japanese dance-drama art of Noh, Reijiro is head of the Ryokusenkai group within the Kanze School of Noh. He received the designation of Japan's "Living National Treasure" in 1991.

In addition to regular performances, he is active in the training and development of young actors. He is also passionate about promoting cultural exchange, and has toured internationally, frequently collaborating with other performers from different disciplines including opera and dance.

Dance Artist/Co-Choreographer

HANA SAKAI

Born in the US, Hana began learning ballet at age five and had her debut in a leading role in The Nutcracker at age 18. 

In 1997, she moved to Japan's New National Theater Ballet and since then, has been one of the Theater's principal dancers. Although mainly focused on classical ballet, Hana has also been an innovative trailblazer in contemporary dance and musicals. She is regarded as one of the country's premier ballet dancers and has received numerous prestigious awards in addition to the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese Government in 2017. 

Dance Artist/Co-Choreographer

BENITO GARCÍA

Since his first visit to Japan at age 16, Spanish flamenco dancer Benito has been active as a dancer, instructor and choreographer, becoming one of the most well-known dancer in the country today. Internationally, he has taken part in the performances as a member of renowned dance companies, such as Maria Pajes.

Previously, Benito has preformed for Tokyu Department Store and also within Bunkamura on numerous occasions. Benito's choreography represents his personal connection to the space - the fond memories and the powerful emotions he has felt within it.

Dance Artist/Co-Choreographer

KYOKA YAMAMOTO

A chameleon of the craft, Osaka native Kyoka incorporates a wide scope of different styles, including martial arts Shorinji and flamenco, into her own work. As technically skilled as she is explosively creative, she fuses fierce feminine energy with next-level musicality and in-your-face hip-hop. 

In 2004, Kyoka co-founded dance crew Rushball and since then has received numerous accolades, including recognition as a world champion in Juste Debout 2016 and Red Bull Dance Your Style World 2022.

Dance Artist/Co-Choreographer

GILDAS LEMONNIER

Originally from Brittany, France, Gildas attended the Martha Graham School and joined the Martha Graham Dance Company and the Peridance contemporary dance company in New York. Gildas’ main source of inspiration is nature where he tries to spend as much time as possible in order to recharge, to feel alive, at peace and connected to himself. 

As a freelance dancer in New York, Gildas performed with Rioult Dance New York, Bennyroyce Dance, Shawnbibledanceco, Bare Dance Company, Now Dance Project, Project44 and for Christopher Williams.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & CHOREOGRAPHER

PATSY LO

Originally from Hong Kong, Patsy is the artistic and choreographic director of sml Dance. 

Patsy worked in marketing for more than 20 years globally. At 48, she left a high-powered job at Apple to become a full-time dance student in Paris, France. She had never danced before.

Her personal artistic project, REBIRTH, began its development with a residency at Orsolina28. Extensions of the project have been selected and featured in Numéro China, Nowness Asia and international dance festivals on multiple occasions.  

Commercially, Patsy has choreographed and curated for multinational brands such as Cathay Pacific and Uniqlo. In 2021, she led The House Collective's Encounters Across Cultures programme which saw interactive dance across our Houses in Hong Kong, Chengdu, Beijing and Shanghai.

Choreographer

YUH EGAMI

Born in Japan, Yuh graduated from The Royal Ballet School in London before joining the Hong Kong Ballet in 2002. In 2019, he became the company's Ballet Master.

Together with Hu Song Wei Ricky, Yuh has co-choreographed several award-winning full-length works for the Hong Kong Ballet, such as Bolero in 2015 and The Rite of Spring in 2019, both which won recognition from the Hong Kong Dance Awards. Yuh himself received the Outstanding Dancer Award at the Hong Kong Music And Dance Association Music and Dance Award in 2019. 

He frequently collaborates with artists from different fields, including music composers and multimedia designers. In 2021, he joined Patsy to choreograph Encounters Across Cultures.

Director

RIKU OZAMA

Hailing from Tokyo, Riku is a diversified and versatile new-generation visual artist. His work is characterised by unique aesthetics, intimate emotions and a visual sensibility that draws the audience into an engaging storytelling. 

Since 2018, Riku has worked at a production company and in 2020, he joined the creative unit “FUBI”. Now working within Japan and internationally as a freelance director, he has directed a wide range of films – from music videos to art-driven narratives to commercial work.

Composer

KANA INUKAI