Company Profile
AKA Dance was founded in 2007 by dance artists Amy Hampton and Keiko Ninomiya with the purpose of creating and presenting contemporary dance works that blend Japanese and Canadian traditions to a broad audience. Drawing from diverse dance forms, from butoh to ballet, AKA's pieces are physically exciting and visually stimulating. The company is known for its ability to create and perform accessible dance that resonates with children and broad multicultural audiences. Collaboration and education are important values that the company promotes in both traditional and nontraditional settings: from the street to the stage to the classroom.
AKA Dance debuted with a street theatre work, Ura, based on traditional Japanese ghosts, at the Junction Arts Festival in September 2007. The company was the recipient of a Dance Ontario Creative Partnership Commission and premiered the commissioned work, In a Single Bound, at Dance Ontario DanceWeekend in January 2008. In a Single Bound was extremely well received and has since been presented at Hamilton's Downtown Arts Centre, the University of Guelph, The Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival; Vancouver's Dancing on the Edge and the LuminaTO Festival.
AKA Dance created a children's version of the piece along with corresponding workshops with the support of the Ontario Arts Council that continues to tour to schools in the GTA and was presented at the Bloorview Children's Rehab Centre on International Dance Day.
The company's newest creation, Faint Light, premiered as part of the inaugural initiative of the Dance Umbrella of Ontario and the Fringe Festival of Toronto at The Factory Theatre. Both Faint Light and In a Single Bound toured to Tokyo, Japan, and were performed to packed houses at the Dance Ga Mitai International Dance Festival. AKA Dance and Mile Zero Dance represented Canada at the festival in a program celebrating the 80th anniversary of Canada-Japan relations.
Most recently, AKA Dance produced White Moon Dance Nights- AKA Dance Celebration of Canada and Japan at the Young Centre for the Performing showcasing works by Denise Fujiwara, Matjash Mrozewski, ZUKE and AKA Dance.
Photo: Malgorzata Nowacka