Attune Dance Class and Performance

Photo by Ken Uemura

Heidi S. Durning dances between cultures. Her choreography fuses Japanese Classical Dance and Contemporary Dance. She is also an accomplished Classical Japanese dancer under the name Fujima Kanso o. She received her training from the Fujima School of Dance, and her Grand Master is Fujima Kanjuro 8th. Her unique fusion of impulses, along with her passion for working with artists from diverse backgrounds and countries, has resulted in a performance style that is technically accomplished and rich in texture, spirit, and vibrancy. Based in Kyoto, Heidi continues to teach, create, and perform globally. Heidi received her BA in Child Development Education from California State University, Chico, and her MFA in Dance from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Daya Tomiko has performed as a soloist all over Japan, becoming one of Japan’s most famous and representative performers of Bharata Natyam. She not only dances on stage in theatres, but also at temples and shrines, at schools, and occasionally for charitable causes. She is Principal of “Thanmaye-Nathyalaya” the Institute of Indian Classical Dance and a Lecturer in Indian Dance at the Osaka University, Faculty of Foreign Languages. 

Nonaka, Kumiko (Noh-flute player), graduated from International Christian University, Tokyo with BA (Liberal Arts) in 1986. Studying piano and violin for enjoyment sparked her interest in Japanese traditional music. She began studying noh-flute (a bamboo flute in Noh theatre) with Hiroyuki Matsuda. Performing publicly since 1994, Nonaka has played traditional Noh solo pieces, and collaborated with players of western, eastern, and folklore musical instruments, and traditional and contemporary dancers. She has been invited to many memorial events at shrines and temples, and also performed abroad.

Kyoko Fujimoto, a versatile choreographer, embarked on her dance journey in Japan before gracing stages in Boston and New York City with ballet and musical theater performances. Her ability to infuse joy into movement reflects her creative vision. In her comedy food ballet Flavorland, “Fujimoto expertly captures the joyful experience of devouring a chocolate truffle" (CriticalDance 2018). Beyond dance, Kyoko holds a B.A. in Physics from Boston University and M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her fusion of artistic expression and academic/scientific prowess enables her to tackle concepts from opposite ends of the spectrum. For example, her "into the fields," a contemporary ballet quartet, explores MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2023).  Her work not only captivates, but also seamlessly integrates science, offering audiences a compelling intersection. Fujimoto was awarded a FY2025 Arts and Humanities Fellowship Grant in Ballet Dance by the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities. www.kyokofujimoto.com

Photo by Marco Calderon

Sarah Carlson is the Founder & Artistic Director of DanceLink, a project-based company which seeks to bridge people, ideas & understanding through the power of movement. Sarah danced professionally for 10 years in NYC with numerous companies including Alexandra Beller/Dances, Brian Brooks Moving Company, Clare Byrne Dance, Paul Mosley Dance and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. As an independent choreographer, her own work has been presented throughout the US at venues such as the Joyce Soho in NYC, On the Boards in Seattle, and The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard as well as in Benin, Africa. Sarah is a co-director of the Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange & the founder/editor of the Lehigh Valley Dance in Review. Sarah is currently an Associate Professor of Dance at Cedar Crest College and has been on the dance faculty at Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, DeSales University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2007, she completed a Fulbright Grant studying Vodou ritual dance in Benin, Africa furthering an on-going inquiry into sacred dance forms. In 2008, Sarah founded DanceLink to promote community and to use the wisdom of the body to unpack the big questions, often spiritual in nature. DanceLink’s projects have received funding from the Pennsylvania Partners for the Arts, the Cultural Coalition of Allentown, the Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange, Cedar Crest Performing Arts and the King County Arts Commission. Sarah received a BA in French and European Studies from Connecticut College and an MFA in Dance from the University of Washington. https://www.scdancelink.org/ 

Stacey Yvonne Claytor is the proud Founder and CEO of C4 Performing Arts School in Fairfax, VA and Artistic Director of Claytor Company, a professional dance company under the C4 umbrella.  Stacey is a passionate and dedicated performing artist, arts educator and arts advocate whose work has carried her from classrooms to great performance venues around the world.  Stacey studied at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater and Dance from James Madison University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from The George Washington University. Stacey is full of gratitude and thrilled to be returning to Japan for her 3rd year in a row to perform and share work in the Attune Festival. instagram.com/claytor_company

Photo by William T. Bradley

Human Landscape Dance was founded in 2006, and has since brought contact choreography around the world. Specializing in artist partnerships, Human Landscape Dance has given performances, held workshops, and shot video footage in Europe, Asia, and South America, as well as cities across the US and Canada. Noted for “…ingenious choreography and staging...” by the Washington Post, the dances of Artistic Director Malcolm Shute are characterized by intimate portraits of people as they undergo change. Using touch to communicate, bodies mold with their environment to create a collage of images.