MARIKO ISHIKAWA

Mariko Ishikawa, originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, is currently pursuing her MFA in Dance Performance at the University of Iowa as a recipient of the Iowa Arts Fellowship. At the university, Mariko has performed in numerous productions and has directed and produced multiple screendance productions. Her research contains dance activism, screendance, classical ballet technique, and Cunningham-based technique. 

Mariko has performed professionally with Albany Berkshire Ballet, Mandance Company San Francisco, Menlowe Ballet, Imaginatio Arts, eMotion Arts, and New Ground Theatre Dance Company among others. She has been invited to perform with the Peninsula Youth Ballet, Diablo Ballet, Moscow Ballet, DManagement’s “Performing in Chicago," and Youth American Grand Prix New York Finals (2009 to 2012). In 2012, she won the prestigious San Francisco Beach Blanket Babylon Scholarship for the Arts. 

With well over 10 years of teaching experience, Mariko is devoted to educating students in the art of dance and performance. Mariko has taught at numerous schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has set multiple productions, including The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, Etudes and more. Mariko holds a BA in performing arts and liberal studies from Saint Mary’s College LEAP.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Education:

MFA in Dance Performance, University of Iowa, anticipated May 2021

BA in Performing Arts and Liberal Studies (LEAP), Saint Mary’s College of California, May 2017

Performances:

University of Iowa - MFA Candidate

December 2019                                If a tree falls ______, at Space Place Theater, IA

A collaborative performance with the Dance Department

December 2019                               Thaw/Phase

Installation Performance in collaboration with Juliet Remmers and Angelica DeLashmette

November 2019                               In Motion, Dance Gala at Hancher Auditorium, IA

Scales of Memory set by Urban Bush Women. Reaping 6:4 by Christopher Rasheem McMillan

November 2019                               International Writer’s Program and University of Iowa Collaboration at Space Place

Theater, IA

The Solitaires, in collaboration with Julia Cooper and Martha Mukaiwa

Company Member

2019                                                 New Ground Theater Dance Company, San Mateo, CA

Choreography by Coleen Lorenz, Sandi Schubert, Rebecca Faiso

2018 - 2019                                     eMotion Arts, San Francisco, CA

Works by Mariana Soboral In collaboration with Mario Spinetti, John Lingui

2017 - 2016                                     Imaginatio Arts, Emeryville, CA

Choreography by Chelsea Farrah, Eric

2010 - 2016                                      Mandance Company SF, San Francisco, CA

Works by Bryon Heinrich

2012 - 2015                                     Menlowe Ballet, Menlo Park, CA

Choreography by Michael Lowe, Ronn Guidi, Viktor Kabaniev, Reginald Ray-Savage, Sarah Jean Measor

2011 - 2013                                     Albany Berkshire Ballet, Albany, NY

Principal in Nutcracker

Guest Artist

2019                                                ODC Pilot 71

Choreography by Alyssa Mitchel

2018                                                Face to Face

Lead dancer in “Face to Face” music video for musician Kendra McKinley

2018                                                Dance Like No One Is Watching

Lead talent for film directed by Cullan Bruce

2018                                                New Ground Theater Dance Company

Featured work by Leslie Marx

2013 - 2015                                     Peninsula Youth Ballet

Principal in Nutcracker

2011                                                Performing in Chicago

DManagement Productions directed by Darren McIntyre

Teaching Experience:

2008 - 2019                                      Ayako School of Ballet, Belmont, CA

Director Assitant, Parent Liason, Choreographer, Competition Coach, Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern Instructor

2018 - 2019                                      Peninsula Youth Ballet

Assistant Rehearsal Director

2017 - 2019                                       Kirkpatrick’s School of Dance, San Mateo, CA

Ballet, Jazz, Dance Team Instructor and Choreographer

2016 - 2019                                      Barre3, San Mateo, CA

Instructor Mentor and Class Instructor

Screendance:

University of Iowa

December 2019                               To the Moon

Director, Producer, Lead Editor

December 2019                               Thaw/Phase

Video Production Leader for installation performance

November 2019                                Lighting Project

Content Creation Collaborator, Editor, Talent

Awards, Honors, Fellowships:

2019 - 2020                                        Iowa Arts Fellowship

2012                                                   Beach Blanket Babylon Scholarship for the Arts

2009- 2012                                        Youth American Grand Prix Invitation to New York Finals

Additional Training and Workshops:

2018                                                  Mark Morris Dance Company Summer Intensive

2012                                                  Ballet San Jose Scholarship Recipient

2010                                                  ODC Summer Intensive Scholarship Recipient

1999 - 2012                                       Ayako School of Ballet Full Scholarship Recipient 2009 - 2012