Dancing In Japan

Tyrone Aiken, the 26-year-old associate artistic director of the Blue Mercury Dancing Company, performed  a male solo called "Returns," at the Nikolais/Louis ChoreoSpace  on November 11, 12, and 13 [1988]. The work is choreographed by Loris Anthony Beckles, Blue Mercury's artistic director, to the music of  jazz musician Lester Bowie.

Aiken  recently returned from a six-week tour of Japan with Michiyo, "a small modern company." While there they were able "to tune into [the Japanese] people: what they're doing , what they thought about Americans, and dancers, and how inspiring they are [to outsiders]. They work so hard at what they do, whatever it is. They're just really very appreciative of artists or knowledge," said Aiken.

On a previous trip to Japan, Aiken, along with other members of Michiyo, spent time teaching and performing. On that trip, he recalled, there was "This one girl, one of my students there, [who] was so kind as to bow and tell me I was a god for teaching and thinking."

Said Aiken: "I don't know how soon, but I will go back. It's a really good experience."

This item, from a dance column I wrote, was published in the New York Amsterdam News (ca. February 4, 1989).