Project · 2021–present
Adelaide Sakura Troupe
A South Australian collective presenting traditional Japanese performance alongside contemporary dance.
A South Australian collective presenting traditional Japanese performance alongside contemporary dance.
About
Founded by Mimi Yoshii in 2022, the troupe emerged from her collaboration with Munetaka Umehara and brings together artists across disciplines to create works drawing from Japanese traditional, classical and folkloric performing arts alongside contemporary dance.
The troupe has performed at OzAsia Festival, AFDIF and inSPACE at the Adelaide Festival Centre. Its new work, Kaguya, premieres at Adelaide Fringe 2027.
Kaguya is a multidisciplinary contemporary interpretation of the Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.
Moving between the worlds of the Moon and Earth, the work brings Japanese traditional performance into dialogue with ballet and contemporary dance, exploring cultural inheritance, belonging and the choices we make about where we call home.
Featuring Japanese traditional music alongside Tchaikovsky, Kaguya continues the artistic exploration begun in Les Japonaises, developed through Adelaide Festival Centre's inSPACE program in 2023.
Created and choreographed by Mimi Yoshii
Adelaide Sakura Troupe
A multidisciplinary dance work bringing Japanese traditional and folkloric performing arts into dialogue with contemporary dance.
Developed through Adelaide Festival Centre's inSPACE Development Program in 2023, Les Japonaises explored tradition and contemporary practice through Japanese folklore, mythology and visual art.
Mimi was born in Japan and began dancing at the age of 4. Alongside her ballet training, she studied Nichibu, Japanese classical dance, in the Wakayagi-ryu tradition. She grew up in a traditional cultural environment shaped by her grandmother, Sōki Hanafusa, a master of Japanese tea ceremony. After relocating to Australia, Mimi has performed at major arts and cultural events, including OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Festival. In 2021, she met Munetaka and began learning Japanese folkloric performing arts from him. Their ongoing collaboration led to the creation of new works and the formal establishment of Adelaide Sakura Troupe.
Growing up in Izumo, the cradle of Japanese mythology, Munetaka came to appreciate folklore and mythology as part of everyday culture and community. That interest continued throughout his life. As a lecturer in Japanese, he spent much of his spare time travelling across Japan to research the folkloric traditions of the countryside, including Ainu ceremonies, harvest festivals throughout Honshu and the celebrations of Okinawa, with particular attention to the fue, the bamboo flute and its role in accompanying dances. In 1993, he and his wife moved to Australia to establish a translation business. Settling in Adelaide, he became involved in Japanese cultural performances, training volunteers to perform at festivals and special occasions. He has also taken part in cultural events in Indonesia, Norway, Hong Kong and Rwanda.
Gail has worked across many fields: public servant, librarian, indexer, editor, lecturer and interpreter, with language and organisation central to each role. Sixteen years living in Japan gave her deep familiarity with the language and culture, and her return to Australia has brought ongoing opportunities to support cross-cultural work, including with Adelaide Sakura Troupe.
Hanna is a contemporary dancer with a desire to pursue choreography whilst collaborating with film and other art forms. With her Japanese heritage, she creates work that fuses Japanese aesthetics with contemporary dance practice, both in her own projects and with Adelaide Sakura Troupe.
Kunyi is a Chinese born, SA (Kaurna land) based independent dance artist and educator. Since she graduated from Adelaide College of the Arts, Kunyi has developed an interest in exploring and researching human connection: socially, emotionally, culturally and physically. She enjoys working with people of different ages and disciplines, translating these experiences into her own practice.
inSPACE collaborators, 2023: Sam Lau (Composer) & Nicky Tsz Tung Li (Tech Operator)
Pre-development community participants, 2021–2022: James Norman (Musician) & Mia Kishimoto Smith (Performer)