Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chisato Yanagisawa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chisato, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I started my training in ballet at the age of 5. My ballet teacher was quite strict, but I never thought of quitting the training. In the same breath, I didn’t think I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer before I was probably 12 or 13.

Around that age, I realized I just couldn’t imagine a life without dancing, and I wanted to dance and improve more. I increased the amount of classes, and also started to participate in ballet competitions in Japan when I was 14. Dance can be a hobby, and becoming a professional dancer isn’t the only way to pursue dancing. But, I didn’t think that’s the direction I wanted to take, and I came to have a strong passion to become a professional dancer.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born and rained in Japan, and now I reside in New York City and dance professionally.

I came to New York to study dance at SUNY Purchase College. I was mainly trained in ballet before coming to the US, but I got to study modern and contemporary dance in college, which helped widen my movement vocabulary and increase my artistic output.

After graduating, I worked with multiple choreographers and performed at many venues in the East coast area. I currently dance with GREYZONE, a dance company based in NYC, and NSquared Dance, a dance company based in Manchester, NH.

I always enjoy the creative process with a choreographer and co-dancers, and performing is a part of the journey. I love pursuing the different abilities and possibilities that my body can explore, and deepening the connection between my body and mind. When I perform, I sense that there is another connection that ties me to the space and the people in it, which is very special and fulfilling moments.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I don’t often speak about my feelings or thoughts, and tend to hold them inside of me. So, the art form of dance is great for me to have as another asset of expression.

I also like how an art work can connect people. As a dancer, it’s amazing that I get to share my experience with the audience, and see how they reciprocate. It creates a place for empathy or discovery of new perspectives.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The pandemic was definitely a tough time. I was actually in NH for a performance with NSquared Dance on the day of the start of the lockdown in NYC.

Just like everyone else, all the upcoming opportunities got canceled for me. But, I decided to stay in NYC and made sure I was prepared for the time when things were back to “normal”.

It was a very uneasy feeling to be restricted and not being able to work for such a long time. But, I kept up my training at home as much as possible.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: chisato____y
• Facebook: Chisato Yanagisawa

Image Credits

Tess Ayano, Umi Akiyoshi, Jessica Pettway, Shieri Yamafuji, Julian Jacques