Biography
about me
Fukiko is an internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and educator whose work bridges contemporary dance, music, visual art, and cultural exchange. Renowned for creating innovative interdisciplinary performances, she has collaborated with internationally recognised artists, companies, and institutions across Europe and Japan.
As both performer and choreographer, Fukiko has worked with some of the world's leading contemporary dance companies, including Henri Oguike Dance Company, Company Wayne McGregor, and Akram Khan Company. Her choreographic work includes collaborations with Japanese music icon Hikaru Utada, creating choreography for Utada's acclaimed music videos and the 20th Anniversary Tour, which reached audiences of approximately 140,000 people across Japan before its release on Netflix. Most recently, she choreographed Pappaparadise for Hikaru Utada.
Her choreographic practice is rooted in collaboration and the meeting of artistic disciplines. Highlights include 1001, created with Academy Award-nominated composer Dustin O'Halloran and premiered in Minneapolis; Don Juan Techno Club, created with Daniel Brandt and Frieder Nagel and premiered in Nuremberg; and Spiritus Naturae Aeternus, her collaboration with Dustin O'Halloran, which was featured by Nowness. She has also created Kishin with taiko drummer Kensaku Satou, performed in Tokyo and Nagano, and contributed choreography to Hidden Order by United Visual Artists music by Daniel J. Thibaut, presented at Antoni Gaudí's iconic Casa Batlló in Barcelona. She also choreographed You Are Here as part of Danny Boyle's celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the Southbank Centre.
In 2022, Fukiko was appointed Honourable Professor at Shikoku University, where she created UMITOKAMI, an interdisciplinary work combining contemporary dance with traditional Japanese instruments and Joruri puppet theatre. The production has been presented annually since its premiere in 2022, reflecting her ongoing commitment to connecting contemporary performance with Japanese cultural traditions.
Her performance career extends across stage, film, and commercial work, including Thom Yorke's Atoms for Peace music video Ingenue and campaigns for UNIQLO, Toyota, and Diners Club.
Born in New York and raised in Japan, Fukiko began her dance training under the guidance of Katsuko Orita and her mother, Takako Takase. She later received a prestigious Japanese Government Cultural Affairs Fellowship before continuing her studies at Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy and the London Contemporary Dance School.
Alongside her creative practice, Fukiko is dedicated to teaching and mentoring emerging artists. She continues to collaborate with multidisciplinary organisations including Clod Ensemble and Neon Dance while fostering artistic exchange between the contemporary dance communities of the UK and Japan. Through her work as a performer, choreographer, and educator, Fukiko has established herself as one of the leading contemporary dance artists working across cultures today.