03/07/2026
The annual “Odori-zome” (First Dance of the Year) presented by the Sachiyo Ito and Company Dance School was held on Sunday, March 1 at 3:00 PM at the Gibney Dance Center in Manhattan. The event had originally been scheduled for January 25 but was postponed due to snow.
In addition to performances of classical Japanese dance by students from diverse cultural backgrounds and multiple generations, guest artists also appeared, including the New York Taiko Aiko Kai (NYTAK) and singer Yoko Yamash*ta. A book-signing event was also held to celebrate the publication of Sachiyo Ito’s book Memoirs of Memories.
The program featured 15 dances, including an original work based on Chinese poetry, as well as kabuki-style dances choreographed and directed by Ito, and dance works celebrating the arrival of spring.
In the finale, the theme “Love” was expressed through the song “Heal the World,” performed with guitar by TOMOYA OGAWA and vocal by Asu-mi. The audience joined in the chorus, creating a warm and moving moment. All 116 seats in the venue were filled, and the event concluded with great success.
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