Otake, Eiko (1952–)

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Otake, Eiko (1952–)

Japanese dancer and choreographer. Name variations: Eiko. Born Feb 14, 1952, in Tokyo, Japan; studied law and political science at Waseda University; m. Koma Otake (dancer); children: son, Yuta Otake.

Joined Tatsumi Hijikata dance company, Tokyo (1971); established 1st partnership with Koma and soon began working as Eiko and Koma (1972); with husband, studied with Manja Chmiel in Germany (1972–73), then toured Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Tunisia (1973–75); with husband, took up residency in NY and presented 1st collaborative work, White Dance (1976); also choreographed works for CoDanceCo and Dance Alloy, Pittsburgh; received 2 New York Dance and Performance (Bessie) awards (1984, 1990) and a MacArthur fellowship, known as a "genius" award (1996). Further works of choreography—all in collaboration with Koma—include Fur Seal (1976), New Moon Stories (1986, comprising the 4 works Night Tide, Beam, Shadows, and Elegy), Passage (1989), Wind (1993), and an outdoor collaboration River (1995).