The Mahea Uchiyama Center For International Dance

A WELCOMING AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL TO HAVE ACCESS TO AUTHENTIC WORLD PERFORMANCE THROUGH CLASSES AND PERFORMANCES. AND TO RE-CENTER AND SUPPORT MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN THE ACT OF CULTURAL RECLAMATION.

EDUCATION: COMMENCED AND CONTINUING TO PRODUCE A SERIES OF MUSICAL WORKSHOPS ON THE MBIRA TRADITION OF ZIMBABWE. PRODUCED A WORKSHOP ON HOW TO CRAFT AND PLAY THE SHEKERE, A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT OF WEST AFRICA. REMOTELY TAUGHT A SESSION OF HULA TO STUDENTS OF THE GAMBIA ACADEMY. PRESENTED MASTER WORKSHOPS IN TAHITIAN DANCE BY HIROHITI TEMATAHOTOA. SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 8TH YEAR OF THE K'PILI POLYNESIAN DANCE & MUSIC WORKSHOPS. WE WELCOMED OVER 90 STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE US, CULMINATING N A STUDENT PRESENTATION .

SPONSORSHIP WE PROUDLY SERVE AS FISCAL SPONSORS FOR A HEWLETT FOUNDATION GRANT FOR THE KAULULEHUA HAWAIIAN CULTURAL CENTER IN SUPPORT OF A PERFORMING ARTS FELLOWSHIP CALLED "M'HUAHUA: FLOURISHING GENERATIONAL ARTISTRY." THIS INITIATIVE WILL BRING TOGETHER ARTISTS, STUDENTS, AND AUDIENCES OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TO DEEPEN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SELECTED PERFORMING ARTISTS AND THEIR CRAFT, WITH A FOCUS ON THE TRADITIONAL HOMELANDS FROM WHICH THEIR ARTS COME AND THE HOMELANDS AND NATIVE PEOPLES IN WHOSE TERRITORY THEY RESIDE. THIS IS BEING ACHIEVED THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH, A MASTER/APPRENTICE PROGRAM AND A SERIES OF PUBLIC LECTURE/DEMONSTRATIONS. THE CULMINATION OF THIS INITIATIVE WILL BE A "HOIKE" (PERFORMANCE) SHOWCASING THESE TRADITIONAL ARTS.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: FOSTERED DEEPENING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAKLAND ASIAN CULTURAL CENTER, THE BLACK BANJO RECLAMATION PROJECT, ASHKENAZ MUSIC AND DANCE COMMUNITY CENTER, AND THE KAULULEHUA HAWAIIAN CULTURAL CENTER, AS WELL AS HAWAIIAN ORGANIZATIONS THE HULA PRESERVATION SOCIETY AND THE P'POLO PROJECT. ;PARTICIPATED IN TWO MAJOR FUNDRAISERS (FREIGHT & SALVAGE AND ASHKENAZ) IN SUPPORT OF THE L'HAINA FIRE VICTIMS, RAISING CLOSE TO 30,000 FOR THE HAWAI'I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE YBCA ARTIST CONVENING PROJECT, WE HOSTED TWO MEETINGS OF ZIMBABWEAN ARTISTS AND INITIATED PLANNING FOR AN UPCOMING SHONA COMMUNITY EVENT.

PERFORMANCES:PRESENTED PUBLIC MBIRA PERFORMANCES FEATURING MEMBERS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MBIRA PROJECT AND MBIRA ARTIST WAMKANGANISE NAGAADZA APPEARED IN MULTIPLE PERFORMANCES FOR CHILDREN AT RHYTHMIX CULTURAL WORKS. AS A RESULT OF A 2021 CHOREOGRAPHY AWARD GRANTED BY THE GERBODE FOUNDATION, INTRODUCED HULA KI'I, A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED TRADITION OF HAWAI'I WHICH FEATURES THE USE OF CARVED OR CRAFTED IMAGES IN THE STORY TELLING AND MOVEMENTS OF HULA TO THE BAY AREA WITH 2 SOLD-OUT PERFORMANCES IN MARCH 2022. PERFORMED IN THREE CONCERTS WITH GRAMMY AWARD WINNER KALANI PE'A. FEATURED PERFORMERS AND TEACHERS OF CULTURAL HANDICRAFTS FOR A COMMUNITY EVENT AT THE OAKLAND ASIAN CULTURAL CENTER.