“Authenticity” is something that we believed is a static, solid aesthetic. However, it keeps changing and informed/influenced by the locations, people, and time.

For me, my journey to understand who I am started with the travel from Japan to the U.S. Changing the location impacted my life and shaped a new point of view to see myself from an outsider’s perspective.
How am I perceived?
What am I representing?
Where do I belong?

I am different so are you. But recently the difference creates the border and conflict. Instead of emphasizing the difference and creating more gaps, I suggest finding common ground to be who we are as we are and a space to learn from each other. No more eliminating nor avoiding. However, to get to the common ground, we all need to have a sense of who are we.

Understanding what consists of who you are is an important first step.
Is the journey of reflecting on the past.
Where have you been?
Who were you with?
What impacted you?
What was your obsession?
These questions are a few to explore who we are. They are more complicated and youth has a quick speed to change. I am specifically looking into the societal labels as well.

Then, the next step is outputting. I am using dance as a tool to communicate and bridge with people. I am finding my own artistic identity through my body and learning from life experiences. I am unique because of how I live. If you categorize yourself in nationality, ethnicity, or gender orientation, you will be generalized. However, nobody can live, feel, or sense the same way as you are. The individual perspective and interpretations of the world make it so unique and how they express is more intriguing.

Now, I am interested in defining “how” to form one’s artistic voice and also be heard by people, to maximize the contribution and find the community. There are so many attempts to make space for artists to be heard, share, and collaborate. There are some sustainable communities to use dance to engage people. I would like to navigate the artists to the pathway of sustainability and find the meaning of sharing their creativity with the world.