BIOGRAPHY
He is founding artistic director of Abarukas and an award-winning choreographer. His work was seen in Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, Israel, Mexico, and the U.S. He won the International Choreographic Competition at NW Dance Project and Choreographic Shindig at Whim W'him in the U.S. He was awarded for Best Choreography Award in Italy at FINI Dance Festival and Audience Award at Masdanza International Contemporary Dance Festival in Spain, and he was invited to present his work "Coming Home" for the Masdanza Extensions Tour in 2018 to perform in the seven islands of the Canary Islands. He's commissioned to create a work from Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, NW Dance Project, Whim W'Him, Ballet Des Moines, Ballet Arkansas, Graham II, Alvin Ailey/Fordham University, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Elon University, Peabody/Johns Hopkins University, Muhlenberg College, HSPVA, GHAA, IAA, Making Moves Dance Festival, Dance Gallery Festival/Level Up, FINI Dance Festival, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Jamaica Performing Arts Center, Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, and more.
He's presented his work for International Solo Tanz Theater Festival (Germany), Gdansk Dance Festival (Poland), Masdanza International Contemporary Dance Festival (Spain), Mash International Choreography Festival (Israel), and FIDCDMX (Mexico), Festival 10 Sentidos (Spain), and FINI Dance Festival (Italy). He's been featured in NY1 as well as Bric TV on Spectrum Cable Channel. He has taught at Amsterdam Dance Centre (Netherlands), DAF Dance Arts Faculty (Italy), FINI Dance (Italy), The Playground (NYC), Dance Theater of Harlem (NYC), Open Dance Festival (Iowa), and more. He currently teaches at Peridance, GIBNEY, and the Martha Graham School. He will create a new production for 2020- 2021 with a London-based composer with support from Rabbit Island Foundation and Rozsa Center at Michigan Technological University.
He founded Abarukas in the fall of 2012, and the Company performed at BAM Fisher, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Series in 2014 and 2016, Palm Desert Choreography Festival, Pan Asian Dance Festival, LaMama Moves Dance Festival, DanceNow at Joe's Pub, WestFest, Making Moves Dance Festival, APAP Showcase at Peridance, Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, Baruch Performing Arts Center, 92Y, GK Arts Center, and a number of universities in the U.S as well as a residency and performance at Kaatsbaan International Dance Center. Broadway Dance World describes, “I witnessed a true work of art...Mr. Sakuraba's brilliant mind for choreography has captivated me... extreme creativity, fine detail, and high level dancing."
CLASS DESCRIPTION
Class will start with warm-up infused with ballet, stretching, cardio, and strength/power workout followed by guided solo & contact improvisation - dancers will be challenged with their creative habits and movements and learn to be more explorative. After warm up, dancers will learn phrase work OR a set of partnering choreography (pas de duex). In Pas de deux, it is designed for dancers to improve their contemporary partnering skills. Dancers will learn how they shift through space and around/with their partner, understanding the flow and energy, creating a partnership bond & executing the momentum, and challenging their physical abilities to shift their partners. And through my phrase work, dancers will work on their versatility, articulation and precision.