Michael Sakamoto

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Michael Sakamoto is an interdisciplinary artist and scholar active in dance, theatre, performance, photography, and media. His solo, ensemble, and visual works have been presented in 15 countries throughout Asia, Europe and North America. Michael’s recent tours include: "Flash," a butoh/hip-hop duet with Rennie Harris; "Soil," a dance theater trio with performers from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam/USA; and "blind spot," an intermedia performance around personal identity and corporate militarism. Michael's research and performance interests include contemporary imaginings of the butoh-based "body in crisis," corporeal and mediated embodiments of self-reflection and social resistance, and performing the cultural commons and cultural sustainability. He holds an MFA in Dance and PhD in Culture and Performance from UCLA, is former Co-Director of Goddard College's MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts Program and former Assistant Professor in Dance at the University of Iowa. In addition to his artistic and scholarly practice, Michael currently serves as Associate Director of Programming and Director of the Asian Arts and Cultures Program at the Fine Arts Center, UMass Amherst. 

Primary Discipline

Multi-Disciplinary

Additional Disciplines

Dance - General
Dance - Hip Hop
Dance - Modern / Contemporary
Design - General
Design - Graphic
Humanities - Anthropology
Humanities - Art History & Criticism
Humanities - Cultural Heritage
Literary Arts - Publishing
Media - Film
Media - Video
Theater - General
Theater - Devised / Artist-Led
Visual/Crafts - Experimental
Visual/Crafts - Photography

Activities

Arts Criticism / Journalism
Arts for Social Change / Creative Activism
Arts Instruction / Lessons
Community Arts
Consulting - Curatorial Services
Design Services
Marketing Services
Performance / Concert / Reading
Public Art Projects (In Free, Public Spaces)
Publishing
Residency - Community
Residency - In School
Residency - Production / Development
Workshops / Demonstrations / Master Class

Awards

  • National Dance Project Production Grantee
  • Asian Arts Council grantee
  • Japan Foundation Arts and Culture Grantee
  • DanceUSA/James Irvine Foundation California Dancemaker Grantee
  • Arts International touring grantee
  • Meet the Composer Grantee
  • California Community Foundation Artist Fellowship Grantee
  • Center for Cultural Innovation Grantee

Education

  • PhD, Culture and Performance, UCLA, 2012
  • MFA, Dance, UCLA, 2010

Professional Associations

  • Dance Studies Association

Additional Information

  • Year founded: 1989
  • Is a Teaching Artist
  • Is a Touring Artist
  • Approx. 5 events per year
  • Geographic Reach: City/Town-wide, County-wide, Surrounding Counties/Region, State-wide, Surrounding States/Region, Nationally, Internationally
  • Seasons active: Year round