Masako Ono
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese Odissi
dancer. She has lived in India since 1996.
Ono was selected as one of the 100 most respected and outstanding Japanese in the world in their respective fields by the Japanese issue of Newsweek
in 2008, and was featured in a documentary series, First Japanese.
in the United States
. She also trained in western classical ballet at the Matsuyama Ballet in Tokyo, and studied jazz dance
and hip hop
at the K-Broadway Dance Center, Tokyo.
In 1996, Ono joined Nrityagram, the dance village in India started by the noted Odissi dancer, Late Protima, and won a scholarship for her studies. She initially received training in Odissi from Protima and continued her training from Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy after Protima's death. She also attended classes in Yoga
, Kalaripayattu and Mayurbhanj Chhau, and participated in workshops held at Nrityagram by Wolfgang Theatre, Paul Taylor 2 Company, The Expressions, Asha Coorlawala and Robert Williams.
After five years of training in Odissi and Yoga, she left Nrityagram to become a solo performer. She has been living in Orissa, India since then, and received further training in Odissi from the Guru Shri Kelucharan MohaPatra, Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena, and Guru Naba Kishore Mishra.
Since 2001, Ono has been based at Bhubaneswar, India as a professional Odissi dancer and yoga teacher, collaborating with dancers, musicians and artists from India and abroad. She had her first Manch Pravesh (debut as a soloist) at Habitat Centre in the year 2003 and is now working on her own choreography pieces that are a blend of tantra, yoga and classical Indian dance.
She has performed and given lecture-demonstrations and workshops in India, Japan, USA, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Australia, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. She has also performed for two Prime Ministers of Japan, Junichiro Koizumi
in 2005 and Shinzo Abe
in 2006. In 2008, she participated in a contemporary dance project with Boi Shakti and Gerard Mostard.
Ono also trains other Odissi dancers and directs Masako Ono Performing Arts (MOPA) in India and Japan. In 2010, she launched the MUDRA Foundation to support the efforts of international artists working to help underprivileged children in India.
Odissi
Odissi, also spelled Orissi , is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as...
dancer. She has lived in India since 1996.
Ono was selected as one of the 100 most respected and outstanding Japanese in the world in their respective fields by the Japanese issue of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
in 2008, and was featured in a documentary series, First Japanese.
Biography
Ono started dancing at the age of 4 under the instructor Masako Yokoi, the only Japanese modern dance graduate from the Martha Graham Dance SchoolMartha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance
Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance is located in New York City and is the headquarter to the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and the Martha Graham Dance Company, which is the oldest continually performing dance company in the world....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She also trained in western classical ballet at the Matsuyama Ballet in Tokyo, and studied jazz dance
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
at the K-Broadway Dance Center, Tokyo.
In 1996, Ono joined Nrityagram, the dance village in India started by the noted Odissi dancer, Late Protima, and won a scholarship for her studies. She initially received training in Odissi from Protima and continued her training from Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy after Protima's death. She also attended classes in Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, Kalaripayattu and Mayurbhanj Chhau, and participated in workshops held at Nrityagram by Wolfgang Theatre, Paul Taylor 2 Company, The Expressions, Asha Coorlawala and Robert Williams.
After five years of training in Odissi and Yoga, she left Nrityagram to become a solo performer. She has been living in Orissa, India since then, and received further training in Odissi from the Guru Shri Kelucharan MohaPatra, Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena, and Guru Naba Kishore Mishra.
Since 2001, Ono has been based at Bhubaneswar, India as a professional Odissi dancer and yoga teacher, collaborating with dancers, musicians and artists from India and abroad. She had her first Manch Pravesh (debut as a soloist) at Habitat Centre in the year 2003 and is now working on her own choreography pieces that are a blend of tantra, yoga and classical Indian dance.
She has performed and given lecture-demonstrations and workshops in India, Japan, USA, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Australia, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. She has also performed for two Prime Ministers of Japan, Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
in 2005 and Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe
was the 90th Prime Minister of Japan, elected by a special session of the National Diet on 26 September 2006. He was Japan's youngest post–World War II prime minister and the first born after the war. Abe served as prime minister for nearly twelve months, before resigning on 12 September 2007...
in 2006. In 2008, she participated in a contemporary dance project with Boi Shakti and Gerard Mostard.
Ono also trains other Odissi dancers and directs Masako Ono Performing Arts (MOPA) in India and Japan. In 2010, she launched the MUDRA Foundation to support the efforts of international artists working to help underprivileged children in India.
Works
Pieces choreographed by Masako Ono include Frozen Grace, Dance of the Crane, Divinity Within - Tantrik Prayer, Kundalini Stavah, and The Day Dream.Professional milestones
- Selected as one of the world's 100 most respected Japanese people in their respective fields by Newsweek Japan in 2008.
- NHK BS 1 produced a documentary film on Masako Ono as part of the First Japanese series in 2007.
- Performed for Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe, former Prime Ministers of Japan.
- Performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., USA in 2007.