Ayako Kato Artist Statement

Dance is the Art of Being. I am a Japanese contemporary experimental choreographer and dancer. My practice is in deep collaboration with music and grounded in the principles of Fūryū, Japanese for "the way of wind," as it relates to ephemeral, yet cyclical beings in nature. Creating from solo to larger ensemble pieces as well as movement installations, my work speaks to ecology, my Japanese-ness, activism, and community building through art-making. My work is performed on traditional stages, museums, galleries, and site-specific locations, including historic landmarks and nature, incorporating live music, visual arts, video, text, and voice. My hero is 17th century haiku poet Matsuo Bashō who was influenced by Taoist Zhuangzi and embodied Fūryū, the way of wind, through his work by traveling and teaching; “Follow and return to the way of nature.” Transmitting the intangible and invisible, and visualizing energies and relationships in between, l dance to advocate and build the world for people to pursue Fūryū, the potential of living fully as you are, following nature.