Working with choreographers and performers

Alongside the public creative activities, FDI has provided a sustained period of deep artistic growth for Denise Fujiwara. She has sought out teachers with deep lineages to brilliant artists and pedagogy. This has led to mentorships in the fields of contemporary
dance, improvisation, contact improvisation, dance-theatre, Butoh and choreography.

Denise studied with and performed the works of; Judy Jarvis (from the lineage of Mary Wigman), theatre director Anne Bogart and Yukio Waguri (from the Butoh lineage of Tatsumi Hijikata), among others. She is particularly indebted to the decade’s long mentorships with Tokyo master Butoh-ka Natsu Nakajima (from the lineages of Kazuo Ohno and Hijikata) and the brilliant dance pedagogue, Elizabeth Langley.

Taking inspiration from these remarkable mentors, Fujiwara has developed pedagogy to pass on her embodied experiences to the next generation of dance artists. This pedagogy shows up in our workshop offerings and through Denise’s one-on-one work
with artists. We believe that the profound and protected information that those master creators used to create meaningful art are invaluable gifts to be pass on to the next generation of dance creators.

We feel that one of the most meaningful contributions FDI can make to the field of dance is through teaching, mentorship and dramaturgy. To this end, Fujiwara engages one-on-one with artists in multiple ways including:

Teaching: Fujiwara’s workshops are based on deep pedagogy that challenges and inspires.

Dramaturgy: Fujiwara focuses on supporting the creator’s goals and ideas through discussion, perceptive observation, reflection, and questions.

Critical Response Process: Fujiwara uses Liz Lerman’s proven process of eliciting useful feedback for creators with works-in-progress. We use this process while the work is in rehearsal and in studio showings.

Movement Direction and Coaching for Actors and Dancers: Fujiwara has worked in theatre and film contexts supporting actors to access internal states that manifest in particular ways to create whole and living characters. Her most recent collaboration
was working with Jacob Elordi on his role as the Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.

Mentorship: These relationships with choreographers evolve over time through shared interests in creative process, choreography and performance issues and involve participation in workshops, dramaturgy on works in process, coaching, reflection and
discussion. Current mentorships include Mayumi Lashbrook and Shivani Joshi.

Testimonials

“I have trained with Denise Fujiwara for 15 years and through that time she has been an artistic mentor to me.  Our work has allowed me to grow and blossom, opening my body and mind to more freedom and possibilities both artistically and personally.  The training has allowed my interpretive skills to develop a close relationship with the presence I try to foster on stage at every moment of a piece.  Her mentorship has helped me to bring aliveness, precision, deeper research and greater range to my own choreography.”
-Sylvie Bouchard

“Over the last 15 years of mentorship and collaboration, Denise has taught me about rigour, specificity, optimal investment, and inspired me into this extended life as a performer. I am always in an open state of many possibilities in our work together. I am
profoundly challenged by her keen and demanding care and attention.”
– Gerry Trentham