Marina Fukushima, a native of Tokyo, studied dance under the direction of Bonnie Mathis in Minnesota. She received her BFA in Dance from Butler University in Indiana and continued her studies at the University of Iowa, where she received her MFA in Dance. She has danced with Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers and ODC/San Francisco. She is currently a member of KUNST-STOFF and Mark Foehringer Dance Project. Her work has been presented at the American College Dance Festival in Boulder, Colorado, ODC Theater, Project Artaud Theater and 418 Dance Project, Santa Cruz, CA. 

Mina Nishimura, dancer/choreographer was born in Tokyo, Japan and move to NYC in 2001.  She graduated from Ochanomizu University with a BA in Performing Arts in Tokyo and has also studied at the Merce Cunningham Studio under scholarship where she received a certificate in 2005. Mina has danced for RoseAnne Spradlin, DD Dorllivier, David Gordon, Satoshi Haga, Chantal Yzermans/Radical Law (Bergium), Magnetic Laboratorium, and John Moran.  In addition, she has also been dancing and assisting choreographer, KotaYamazaki, in his dance company Fluid hug-hug since 2002.   In 2003-2004, she held three residencies in Senegal to work as an assistant choreographer for the creation of FAGAALA choreographed for the Senegal-based company Jant-bi. Her own choreography has been seen at Joyce Soho, Cunningham Studio, Danspace Project, and Movement Research at the Judson Church.  Most recently, Mina was awarded a creative residency at Dance Theater Workshop (DTW) from Fall of 2006 through Spring of 2007 and her work Tuna was presented as part of the DTW Studio Series in May, 2007.

Sensei Melody Takata is a taiko artist (Japanese drumming) and dancer/choreographer trained in classical Japanese dance.  In her 20+ year career she has engaged in the interpretation of traditional pieces as well as created new works in the tradition.  She has further explored the role of innovation as a means to advance the tradition as living culture, experimenting both with interdisciplinary integration of traditional art disciplines (taiko, folk dance, folk music, ozashiki music, classical dance) as well as the use of contemporary forms such as modern dance, spoken word and improvised music.   www.gentaiko.com

Kaoru Watanabe (Japanese flutes) Originally from St. Louis, MO, Kaoru graduated from the Manhattan School of Music as a jazz flute major in ‘97. He then moved to Japan to join the acclaimed Japanese drum (taiko) ensemble KODO, where he spent 9 years as a performer- specializing in the various Japanese flutes (Shinobue, Noh Kan, and Ryuteki) and artistic director. He left Kodo in ‘06 and returned to New York to further explore music informed by Noh, Kabuki, Gagaku and Japanese folk songs as well as jazz, classical music and free improvisation. Kaoru has performed with, among others Bando Tamasaburo, Jason Moran, Stefon Harris, and has acted as artistic director of Japan’s oldest world music festival, Earth Celebration- where he worked in collaboration with Zakir Hussain, Giovanni Hildago, Tamango, Yosuke Yamashita and calligrapher Koji Kakinuma. In order to be able to share the knowledge and experience from his time spent in Japan and from a lifetime of playing music, Kaoru also teaches and gives workshops in shinobue and taiko drums. www.watanabekaoru.com

Francis Wong (Saxaphone) Few musicians are as accomplished as Francis Wong, considered one of "the great saxophonists of his generation" by the late jazz critic Phil Elwood. A prolific recording artist, Wong is featured on more than forty titles as a leader and sideman. For over two decades he has performed his innovative brand of Asian American jazz/creative music for audiences in North America, Asia, and Europe with such with such luminaries as Jon Jang, Tatsu Aoki, Genny Lim, William Roper, Bobby Bradford, John Tchicai, James Newton, Joseph Jarman, Don Moye and the late Glenn Horiuchi.   But to simply call the Bay Area native a musician would be to ignore his pioneering leadership in communities throughout Northern California. Wong's imaginative career straddles roles as varied as performing artist, youth mentor, composer, artistic director, community activist, non-profit organization manager, consultant, music producer, and academic lecturer. Key vehicles for his work are Asian Improv aRts, the company he co-founded with Jon Jang and as a Senior Fellow at the Wildflowers Institute. In addition, Wong was a California Arts Council Artist in Residence from 1992 through 1998, and a Meet The Composer New Resident in 2000-2003. In 2000-2001 he was a Rockefeller Next Generational Leadership Fellow. He has also been a guest member of the faculty at San Francisco State University (1996-98) and at University of California at Santa Cruz (1996-2001).   www.franciswong.net