Yumiko Ishii
San Francisco, CA
Yumiko Ishii is originally from Tokyo, Japan, and currently works in San Francisco. Her interest in Kathak was ignited while she was an undergraduate student majoring in Urdu Language Studies. She started her training with Masako Sato in Tokyo, succeeded by the late Pt. Birju Maharaj, Saswati Sen, Malti Shyam in Delhi, and Urja Thakore in London. As a student of the Kalashram school of dance, founded by Pt. Birju Maharaj, she performed at numerous festivals in northern India for four years. Yumiko, in association with the Japan Foundation, New Delhi, has collaborated with Japanese award-winning writer Yoko Tawada in Delhi, at an event titled Kala Saanjh (Evening of Arts), and supported the renowned Japanese traditional dance group, Goyokai, with their tour of Delhi and collaborative productions with local Kathak dancers.