Ayako Kato

Described as “moving everyday sculptures, artfully cast in naturalness” (Luzerner Zeitung, Switzerland), Ayako Kato is a kinetic philosopher/poet, originally from Yokohama, Japan. Since 1998, Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape has been pursuing contemporary experimental dance/choreography/improvisation in deep collaboration with over 80 musicians and composers, presenting in Europe, Japan, and the United States. Advocating the principles of fūryū, Japanese for “wind flow,” cyclical transformation and human motion in nature, Ayako creates solo, ensemble pieces, and movement installations for traditional stages and large scale site-specific locations.

Ayako received the Sybil Shearer Fellowship at Ragdale in 2024 and a 2023 National Dance Project (NDP) Grant Finalist Award in preparation for ETHOS IV: Degrowth/Cycle Rebirth, which premieres April 19-20, 2024. She also a recipient of a 2023 United States Artist Fellowship, a 2022 Esteemed Artist Award from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, a 2021 Artist Fellowship Award in Choreography by the Illinois Arts Council, a 3Arts Residency Fellowship at both Camargo Foundation in France and Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, California; a 2016 3Arts Award, a Meier Achievement Award, a High Concept Labs Fellowships; the "Best of Dance" by the Chicago Tribune, a Links Hall Co-MISSION Fellowship, the Hall of Fame by Newcity Stage's "50 People Who Really Perform for Chicago,"a Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist Award, and more. She is grateful for everyone who has supported and guided her to move forward together with her belief that dance has power to uplift people and generate peace. 

Since 2010, Kato has been an artist in residence at the Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater under Chicago Moving Company's Dance Shelter Program. She has been studying dance anatomy under Irene Dowd since 2007. In addition to classical ballet and modern dance, she also studied Tai Chi, Noh Theater, and Butoh with master Kazuo Ohno, one of the founders. She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Michigan and a certificate from the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance of Wesleyan University.