About the Artists

MIKI ORIHARA

Dancer

Miki Orihara, a principal dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company, began her training in Japan at an early age in traditional Fujima Japanese Dance. After graduating from Bunka Gakuin high school in Tokyo, she came to New York to study at the Joffrey Ballet School. Then received scholarships to study at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. In 2011, she earned BA in Dance from SUNY Empire State College.

In 1983 she became one of the original members of the Martha Graham Ensemble and thereafter shortly joined the Martha Graham Dance Company. She has performed with various other prominent companies and choreographers as well. These include Yuriko, Elisa Monte, Jean Erdman, Mariko Sanjo, Jun Kono(Japan), Buglisi/Foreman Dance, Twyla Tharp, Stephen Pier, Martha Clarke, Anne Bogart and SITI company, and Robert Wilson. In 2001, she was invited to dance at the New National Theater in Japan. In 2006, she was a guest artist with Pascal Rioult Dance Theater for their France Tour. On Broadway, Ms Orihara appeared in the role of “Eliza” and “Topsy” in “ The King & I” directed by Christopher Renshaw, Choreographed by Jerome Robbins and Lar Lubovitch.

As a choreographer, she premiered her solo work/performance “Searching Dimensions” (1995) in New York. Her recent works are “Passage”, “Serious Garden”  and “End of Summer” . These works were well received at their openings in Japan. In 2001, Ms Orihara presented an 8 women piece “VOICE” in Nagoya, Japan followed in 2008 by “Stage”.

Ms. Orihara assists master teacher and choreographer Yuriko in her Graham technique classes, reconstructions and choreography. She has also been a guest teacher at UCLA World Arts and Culture Department, Atlanta Ballet, State University of Florida, the Ailey School, Peridance, The Hartt School, Arts International in Moscow with Takako Asakawa, the New National Theater Ballet School in Tokyo, Les Etés de la Danse in Paris, Henny Jurriens Foundation in Amsterdam and numerous other workshops and schools throughout the world. She is currently on faculty at the Martha Graham School.  As a Regissuer on Martha Graham’s work, she has been setting works on world wide, include Diana Vashineva’s “Dialogue” and Wendy Whelan of New York City Ballet.

Ms. Orihara served as a Movement designer for Jen Silverman’s “Crane Story” directed by Katherine Kovner and a Casting Producer/Dance Director for mishmash＊Miki Orihara’s music videos which will be released Spring/Summer 2014. Ms. Orihara is in process of making Martha Graham technique DVD, collaboration with Dance Spotlight and Martha Graham Center.

In 2010, She received a New York Dance and Performance (BESSIE) Award for her contributions to dance.

SENRI OE

Jazz Pianist

A Bestselling SONY Music recording artist, Senri Oe’s international debut all-jazz album, “Boys Mature Slow,”(PND Records) released in July 2012, generated many rave reviews from top music magazines including “Jazziz” and “Down Beat” in NYC. After its release in Japan in September 2012 (SONY Records), “Boys Mature Slow” won the Album Of The Year: New Star Award from the Japan Jazz Awards presented by Nissan.

Oe has been active and influential in the Japanese music scene as a lyricist, composer and arranger since his debut in 1983. He extended his talent in the TV and film industry and went on to flourish as an actor and TV personality as well. His major awards include Japan Gold Disc Grand Prix: Best Male Pop Artist in 1988 and FNS Pop Music Award: Best Song of the Year in 1989.

In January 2008, Oe decided to pause his 25-year career in popular music in order to pursue jazz and moved to New York to study under Junior Mance and Aaron Goldberg. Oe graduated from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in May 2012.

Oe is now appearing at jazz clubs throughout NYC and surrounding East coast areas such as Tomi Jazz, Zinc Bar, SOB, Blue Note, NY City Winery, and Domain wine bar (Long Island City), along with a Japan tour at Tokyo Blue Note and Nagoya Blue Note.

In recent years, his 2nd jazz album “Spooky Hotel” topped Billboard Japan Jazz Charts and he performed again at Tokyo Jazz Festival in 2013 with his big band and special vocalists, Sheila Jordan and Matt Dusk.

 His latest achievement is the completion of his 4th album “Answer July” which includes collaborations with Sheila Jordan, Jon Hendricks, Lauren Kinhan (New York Voices), Theo Bleckmann and Becca Stevens. It will be released worldwide on July 5th, 2016, along with a world premiere show at Jazz Gallery (NYC) on the same day.

Currently, Oe is producing albums not only for his own jazz projects but also for other talented artists in NYC, as well as touring as the accompanist for Martha Graham Principal dancer Miki Orihara’s solo show, Resonance.