EngAGE Blog

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 13 @ 5:30 PM PT
EMIKO SUGIYAMA
BEN EVANS
Host: JOHN SEMPER JR.

“Common-Unity” is an interactive art show with movement and music. It was curated and organized by Emiko Sugiyama of Open House, a House dance and music community in the greater Los Angeles area.  The show opens at ace/121 Gallery in Glendale, CA, on January 19th from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Click here to get detailed information about the show and other events that will be happening during its three-week run at ace/121 Gallery.

EMIKO SUGIYAMA is originally from Tokyo, Japan, where she trained in classical ballet. She moved to the United States to study Physical Therapy at the University of California, Davis, in 1999. There she was
introduced to Hip Hop dance, which became her communication tool because she was struggling to express herself in English. When she saw “Rome and Jewels” by Rennie Harris Puremovement in 2000 at UC Davis,
despite her parents’ disagreement, she changed her major to Dance. Emiko had moved to the United States by following her heart, and Dance became the center of her life.

Emiko has performed with numerous dance companies such as Illstyle and Peace Productions, Jelom Bel, One Step Ahead, Antics Performance, Montaz Performing Art Company, and Rennie Harris Puremovement, and in countless festivals all across the United States and internationally (Japan, Poland, Russia, England, France, Canada, and Liberia). She has been invited to teach, compete, and judge competitions all over the world as well. She was featured as the cover girl for We B*girls, a hardcover book by world renowned photojournalist Martha Cooper, documenting extraordinary women in Hip-Hop. Emiko also has extensive  experience producing events, festivals, and programs, including The Annual J.U.i.C.E Hip Hop Dance Festival at Ford Amphitheatre; the “Bgirl Challenge,” a ten week intensive breakdance training session geared toward boosting the confidence and skills of emerging female dancers; and “Hip Hop Island,” a youth summer camp which introduces at-risk youth to the positive artistic elements of the Hip Hop culture. In 2012, Emiko received The Most Influential Female Hip Hop Contributor from the world famous dance crew, LA Breakers, and the Community Leadership Appreciation Award by the Lester Horton Dance Awards in 2016.

Through Emiko’s dance career, she has lived in various cities in the U.S., including Davis, Sacramento, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia. After she had experienced both East and West coasts, she decided to settle and married in Los Angeles in 2008. In 2009, Emiko and her friends founded Open House which is a weekly dance session where people share the love of House music and dance. Today, Open House has about 2,000 active community members in Los Angeles. Open House is Emiko’s family, and other members provide great support while Emiko is taking care of her son who is two years and eight months old.

Emiko is not only a performer but also an educator, choreographer, producer, artistic director, community builder, mother, and more. Emiko aspires to share not only her skills and abilities, but also her individuality and personality through dance, music, arts, and culture.

Originally from WA State, BEN EVANS settled in Los Angeles after a decade living abroad. Following a B.A. in Theater Studies from Yale University, he lived in London, Barcelona and Paris, where he earned an M.A. in Theater and Choreography from the University of Paris 8. His work as a choreographer and performer toured across Europe and parts of North and South America, and his more recent work in visual art has been shown in France, Germany, Brazil and Cyprus. He grew up with a strong sense of service and his move to Los Angeles was inspired by a desire to make an impact on a local level. He is elated to work with the residents at ACE/121 in Glendale in creating an innovative model of multi-generational living, art making, and community development.