Thursday 9/10
7-8:30PM @ & Space
1021 Hamilton Street, Floor 3
DESCRIPTION:
This class introduces contemporary dance techniques that Yuki Ishiguro developed through 15 years of professional experience as a dancer and choreographer in New York City. The class focuses on isolation, fluid transitions, weight shifts, and dynamic use of space. Drawing from his background in breakdance, Ishiguro also introduces his original floorwork method, which uses gravity, momentum, and the natural articulation of the joints to create fluid transitions from standing to the floor and back again. Beyond developing physical technique, dancers will apply these ideas to contemporary movement phrases while exploring intention, breath, timing, and the direction of energy.
Concepts drawn from Japanese movement philosophy and aesthetics—including ma (space and time), in-yō (the interplay of opposing forces), ryūdōbi (the beauty of fluid movement), and jo-ha-kyū (gradual development, acceleration, and conclusion)—will be introduced as practical tools that can be understood through the body rather than as abstract theories.
This teaching method is based on Ishiguro’s academic research, which organizes contemporary dance through a framework of sixteen Japanese philosophical and aesthetic concepts. In 2025, the project was the only arts-based research selected for funding by Montclair State University and received official support from the university. Following peer review, the research has been accepted for publication in Dance Education in Practice and is scheduled to appear in 2027.
Originally from Japan, Ishiguro holds an MFA in Dance from Montclair State University and is the founder and artistic director of Yu.S.Artistry. He received the Ellen Forman Memorial Award in 2024 and was selected for a Cannonball-supported cohort as part of the 2026 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. His work has been presented at Lincoln Center, Queens Theater and the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. In Bucks County, he developed a collaboration with the Michener Art Museum and presented a performance centered on cultural exchange between Japan and the United States supported by Japan Foundation. As a performer, Ishiguro toured Africa with Catapult Entertainment. He was also selected as one of seven dancers to perform in a work by Emery LeCrone, known for her choreography for New York City Ballet, alongside dancers affiliated with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Martha Graham Dance Company. As an educator, Ishiguro has served as an adjunct professor at Montclair State University, choreographed work for students at Drexel University, and taught workshops at Manhattanville College, Coker University, Nazareth University, and other institutions.
LEVEL: Intermediate
Instagram: yu.s.artistry_official
MASKING: Masks optional.
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