ABOUT
BIO
Yokko is a New York-based actor and interdisciplinary artist from Japan specializing in Butoh, Theatre, Physical Acting, and Movement. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the award-winning theater group RenGyoSoh (2014–present) and the Co-Producing Artistic Director for UNFIX NYC: creating an awareness of ecology through arts (2016–present).
Yokko has acted in, devised, and choreographed a variety of local and international productions and films. She has received several awards, including “Best One-Woman Show,” “Best Choreography,” “Best Physical Theatre,” and “Best Actress” for her work, Butoh Medea, at festivals such as United Solo NYC at Theatre Row (2014 & 2015) and the Hollywood Fringe (2018). Butoh Medea was selected for performance in Warsaw, Poland (United Solo Europe 2015, Teatre Syrena) and toured the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2015, where it was nominated for The Asian Arts Award. The production toured across the USA and Europe (Italy, Turkey, Germany, and the Czech Republic, 2016–2025), marking its 53rd public performance in NYC. Other Theatre credits include: Lone Wolf Tribe's Body Concert (Labapalooza! 2018 at St. Ann's Warehouse), Hide Your Fires: Butoh Lady Macbeth (Pan Asian Rep's NU Works, United Solo 2017: Theatre Row, Hollywood Fringe 2019), and BALDY (CRS NYC 2014, United Solo 2013, Hollywood Fringe 2013, Fringe NYC 2012). Butoh Dance credits include:ShiraHimeRyu (Butoh Festival Amsterdam 2024; NY Butoh Institute Festival 2018), Hijikata Tatsumi’s Last Words(Dance Medium: Noguchi Room, Hijikata Archive, Keio University, 2018), ManJuShaGe: A Flower on the Earth, A Flower in the Sky (Dance Medium, 2017), and FACET (Irondale Center, White Wave, Hollywood Fringe 2013). Her choreographed and directed work, SHINKA, was developed and received several awards, including Outstanding Production, Outstanding Choreography, and Outstanding Ensemble (Planet Connections 2018). It also won Outstanding Premiere Production of a Play and Outstanding Choreography & Movement for the 2018–2019 season at the New York Innovative Theatre Awards. Additionally, she was a guest choreographer for the LIU Brooklyn BFA in Dance Winter Concert (2019) and a guest director for the LIU Brooklyn BFA in Acting for Theatre, Film, and Television, where she directed the original devised production In Our Hands with her students (2021). Yokko has also acted in several local and international films, including the Student Academy Award-winning film Cloud-Kumo (2016). Recently, she has appeared as a Butoh dancer in several music videos, including Cage The Elephant’s “Ready To Let Go” (2019), NOIA’s “AUSENCIAS” (2019) directed by Amy Gardner, and POW!’s “Dream Decay” (2019). Additionally, Yokko has collaborated with fiber artist Erik Bergrin, appearing in his art film The 8 Dissolutions(Morris Museum, Paz 10 Gallery, and Times Square billboard, 2022) and performing in his fashion show Spirit Body at House of Yes (2023). Yokko regularly offers workshops (Butoh & Movement, Transformation) and training programs across the USA and Europe, ranging from introductory sessions to 100-hour intensive programs. A certified teacher in Yoga, Reiki, and Yoga Nidra, she specializes in therapeutic, healthcare, and Ayurvedic approaches, which inform her holistic pedagogy. She currently serves as a faculty member for several universities and BFA/MFA acting programs in New York City. Her article, “Why Butoh Theatre,” was published by Routledge / Taylor & Francis (2020), and she is the G. William Hume Fellow in Performing Arts (2023). They are passionate about creating new work through collaboration, especially the synthesis of different disciplines and cultures. *United Solo Europe: Fiona Shaw, LynnMarie Rink have performed there in 2014 Photo by Shrin Tinati Butoh Medea
Winner of Best One-Woman Show (United Solo NYC 2014) Winner of Best Choreography (United Solo NYC 2014) Winner of Best Physical Theatre (United Solo NYC 2015) Winner of Best Actress (TVolution 2018 Hollywood Fringe Award) Recipient of Special Award (Thespis Festival 2018, Kiel Germany) Nominated for Asian Arts Award (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015) Nominated for Best International (Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018) Nominated for Best Dance & Physical Theatre (Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018) Hide Your Fires Winner of Best Physical Theatre (United Solo NYC 2017) Winner of Best Sound Design (United Solo NYC 2017) with Jorge Olivo Winner of Best International (Hollywood Fringe Festival 2019) Winner of ENCORE Producers Award (Hollywood Fringe Festival 2019) Nominated for Best O face Award (Hollywood Fringe Festival 2019) SHINKA Winner of Outstanding Premier Production of A Play (NY Innovative Theatre Foundation:NYIT Award 2019) Winner of Outstanding Choerography & Movement (NY Innovative Theatre Foundation: NYIT Award 2019) Winner of Outstanding Production of a Dance & experimental production (Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2018) Winner of Outstanding Choreography (Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2018) Winner of Outstanding Ensemble (Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2018) Nominated for Outstanding Actress featured role (The New York Innovative theatre awards 2018-2019) *IT award Nominated for Outstanding Direction (NY IT Award 2018-2019) ANTIGONE Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Antigone, Planet Connection 2016), BALDY Nominee for Best International Performance (Hollywood Fringe Festival 2013) En A recipient of 2019 Brooklyn Arts Fund a new project, En. (Sep. 13-15, Triskelion Arts, Brooklyn). |
