Naoyuki Oguri (born 1963), who performs as simply Oguri, is a dancer and choreographer from Japan who lives in Los Angeles, California, where he works creating and teaching dance. His work is influenced by the tradition of the Japanese

Butoh is a form of Japanese dance theatre that encompasses a diverse range of activities, techniques and motivations for dance, performance, or movement. Following World War II, butoh arose in 1959 through collaborations between its two key founders ...

style of dance. Oguri was born in

Tajimi is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 110,070 in 46,580 households, and a population density of 1200 people per km2. The total area of the city was . The city is famous for its production of Mino ware ceramic ...

in the

Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...

of Japan. Prior to coming to Los Angeles he studied with master

Tatsumi Hijikata was a Japanese choreographer, and the founder of a genre of dance performance art called Butoh. By the late 1960s, he had begun to develop this dance form, which is highly choreographed with stylized gestures drawn from his childhood memories of ...

, the founder of a genre of

dance whom Oguri credits as his inspiration for interest in the field. He also studied and danced with

Min Tanaka is a Japanese dancer and actor. Biography Tanaka was trained in ballet and modern dance, but in 1974, turned his back on these forms. He began his solo career with a series of nearly-naked primarily outdoor improvisational dances that took place ...

's Body Weather in a mountain village in

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 817,192 (1 January 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the no ...

in rural Japan where he met dancer and choreographer Roxanne Steinberg. In 1990 he came to Los Angeles and married Steinberg. In 2002 he was featured in the book ''In Other Los Angeleses: Multicentric Performance Art'' by Meiling Cheng. Oguri was also featured in the film ''Height of Sky'' a documentary by

Morleigh Steinberg Morleigh Steinberg is an American choreographer and dancer with the production company Arcane Collective. She is married to the musician the Edge from the rock group U2. Raised in Los Angeles and schooled in modern dance, Steinberg became ...

. Subsequent works include ''Kalpa'', performed at the

Getty Center The Getty Center, in Los Angeles, California, is a campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust. The $1.3 billion center opened to the public on December 16, 1997 and is well known for its architecture, gardens, and views over ...

in Los Angeles in January 2012 as well as a performance of ''Cold Dream Colour'' as a member of the

Arcane Collective Arcane Collective is a contemporary dance production company, producing and presenting work from a cooperative of international artists from different backgrounds. It was founded in 2011 by Morleigh Steinberg, a dancer and choreographer and Ogu ...

at the

REDCAT Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT) is an interdisciplinary contemporary arts center for innovative visual, performing and media arts in downtown Los Angeles, located inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Opened in November 2003 ...

, part of the

Walt Disney Concert Hall The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 24, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Ave ...

complex.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oguri Living people Japanese choreographers Japanese male dancers People from Gifu Prefecture People from Los Angeles 1963 births