Described as “moving everyday sculptures, artfully cast in naturalness” (Luzerner Zeitung, Switzerland), Ayako Kato is a kinetic philosopher/poet, originally from Yokohama, Japan. Since 1998, Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape has been pursuing contemporary experimental dance/choreography/improvisation in deep collaboration with over 80 musicians and composers, presenting in Europe, Japan, and the US. Advocating the principles of fūryū, Japanese for “wind flow,” cyclical transformation, and human motion in nature, Ayako creates solo, ensemble pieces, and movement installations for traditional stages and large-scale site-specific locations. She is grateful for everyone who has supported and guided her to move forward together with her belief that dance has the power to uplift people and generate peace.
Ayako has been teaching dance since 1996 based on her classical ballet, modern, Tai-Chi, Noh Theater Dance, butoh (practiced under butoh founder Kazuo Ohno), and somatic training. Ayako has been teaching Master classes at the University of Chicago; School of the Art Institute of Chicago; DePaul University; Northwestern University; University of Colorado Colorado Springs; University of Michigan; Indiana University; Laurence University; and the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. Since 2012, she has been teaching her own unique dance/movement workshops, combining her somatic, philosophical, and artistic movement practice with Japanese essence, on themes such as "Art of Being," "ETHOS," "Eclipse," "Finding Nature," "Be a Poet," "No(h) Butoh," "Dance & Music Improvisation" at Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater as part of the Chicago Moving Company community dance classes, and also has been teaching CPS students through Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education. Back in Japan, she taught ballet for Taito Cultural Ballet School in Japan for three years. She was a ballet mistress (and a cast member) for Kimie Sasamoto to revive her "Concert Royal" for the All Japan Ballet Association Concert at the New National Theater of Japan. Ayako has taught ballet at the University of Michigan for non-dance major students while she was pursuing her MFA.
I was introduced to Ballet at age 4 and immediately fell in love and was fascinated. I became a finalist at the All Japan Ballet competition when I was 17. Yet, I left the ballet world questioning whether I could be more useful to society rather than dancing for my joy. At age 19, I started to feel guilty about dancing and training to become a ballerina if I didn’t see a high level of recognition in my future. This marked the beginning of my journey of decolonizing my body and mind. I made the difficult decision to step away from the ballet world as I grappled with the question of whether pursuing my joy in dance was enough in a world filled with suffering. In my early 20s, amongst Japan's bubble economy and its growing international relationships, I realized the importance of sharing the Eastern/Japanese perspective with non-Japanese people to avoid misunderstanding. I turned to Japanese traditional culture, delving deep into its philosophies and aesthetics. One concept that resonated deeply with me was fūryū, which translates to "wind flow" and symbolizes coexistence within nature. This exploration has profoundly influenced my approach to movement and choreography, blending traditional Japanese aesthetics with contemporary dance forms.
Ballet has played a significant role in shaping my life, teaching me discipline and perseverance from a young age. And today, while I do not engage with it so obviously, it is still present because Ballet is known as a prominent Western dance form. I find myself watching YouTube videos of Ballet from time to time and I think often of my mentor, Kimie Sasamoto. By joining this project, I am curious to face Ballet again a little more directly and clarify my redefinition and relationship.