DANCE OUT EAST: Naomi Funaki's Ikigai Tino and Rajika Puri Creative Residency Set For January

Tap dance artist Naomi Funaki will share an in-process presentation of a new evening-length work, Ikigai. Reflecting on the 2011 Tohoku earthquake & tsunami, Fukushima nuclear disaster, and personal experience, Funaki blends rhythm, live music, and narrative to explore resilience, memory, and connection.

This in-process presentation is a culmination of Funaki's weeklong Works & Process Tino and Rajika Puri creative residency at Guild Hall. Consisting of both performance and conversation, the evening offers audiences an intimate glimpse into the work's development and the ideas shaping its evolution prior to its March 8th premiere with Works & Process at Guggenheim New York as part of the Uptown Rhythm Dance Festival.

This presentation is part of the 2026 Dance Out East Festival-a collaboration between Guild Hall, The Church, The Watermill Center, and Works & Process that highlights the creation of new choreographic work ahead of its continued development within Works & Process' 2026 dance festivals.