Meet Saya Harada

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Saya Harada a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Saya, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

When I was a little, I admired a lovely ballerina appeared on my favorite kids TV show. I imitated the movement she did in the show, and I enjoyed my “creative movement” in the small living room in my house. My mother found a ballet studio for me, and I started my classical ballet training when I was three and half years old. I fell in love with dancing. I always danced when I heard the music and kept dancing even the music was stopped. One day, my mother brought me to the theatre to see the ballet “Giselle” by Bolshoi Ballet. The performance and a prima ballerina grabbed my heart, and I said to my mother “I want to be like her!” I had dreamed to become a ballerina since then. I have trained in classical ballet for many years, and my passion for dancing kept glowing. I joined the junior ballet company during my pre-professional training and performed a various of classical ballet repertories in Japan. As the year passed, I became interested in choreographing, staging dance performances and training young dancers. That is how my carrier shifted from dancer to a dance educator and a choreographer. I decided to come to New York in 2007 to re-train myself not only ballet but also learn modern / contemporary dance. I was fortunate to find the information that American Ballet Theatre® and New York University established new master’s degree program focused on the ballet pedagogy. I enrolled the program in 2009, and I became the first Japanese citizen who graduated from ABT NYU Master’s Degree Program and obtained MA and American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum (ABT NTC) Certification form Primary to Level 7. This study opened my eyes wider and cultivated my teaching methods deeply and improved my skill to teach classical ballet. Since I graduated, I teach not only ballet, but also character and modern / contemporary at the ballet studios in New York and New Jersey. In addition, I have been appointed one of the ABT NTC Artistic Bord of Examiners who adjudicate presented student to the ABT student examinations. A numbers of ballet schools and studios in the US and the other countries present their students to the examinations. So, my career as a dance educator has become more international. Since I moved to New York, I also studied Humphrey/Limón technique under Jim May, former artistic director of Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble, Betty Jones and Fritz Ludin who were legendary dancers with Limón. Learning and performing modern and contemporary dance inspired me a lot to grow my passion to create my own dance style. I founded my company, Saya Sprig Dance Theatre in 2015 and create and perform new choreography since them. All my training and experiences in ballet, modern and contemporary have come together and have led me move to the next stage of my dance life. My mission is to create and perform my dance works and to share the artistic and the dramatic moment with audiences through the performance.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

As a dance educator, I teach ballet for more than a decade in New York. Since I certified in American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum from Primary to Level 7, my profession for teaching classical ballet has become more proficient. According to the history, the basic steps and forms of the classical ballet was established in 16th when Luis XIV was king in France. So, learning ballet is also learning the sense of the noble manners through the steps and movements. Not only dance techniques but also teaching appropriate manners and behavior is important in ballet. Dance technique has become more and more intense, and some young dancers is struggled to master the steps and tends to lose the motivation. One of my focuses is to create the environment for students to learn the dance technique step by step as well as creativity and artistry through the movement and provide the opportunity to let them present themselves with confidence. All students have different skill levels and artistry and sometimes students tend to be competitive too much. Not everyone goes to the professional dance track in the future. My focus is to teach dance technique as well as artistry and manner of respect through the art form of ballet. I believe these studies and experiences will help students to overcome difficulties they might encounter in the future. As a choreographer, I formed my modern / contemporary dance company, Saya Spring Dance Theatre in 2015. I choreograph new dance piece every year and have opportunity to perform these works on the stage. Based on my strong ballet technique, and other style of the dance, I can create my own style of the movement. Inspired by music, art, cultures and current event in the world. She choreographed “A Midnight Spring Dream ~Yozakura~”(2009), “An Abyss of Lament”(2010). I have worked with Long Island Ballet Theatre since 2013 and choreographed “In Your Hands” (2013), “Splash!” (2014) and “Presence excerpt~”(2014). She founded Saya Spring Dance Theatre in 2015 and successfully performed “Presence ~Allegro~” in March 2015 in Manhattan. Other choreographies are “Tenchi”~The Beginning~ (2016), “Montague vs. Capulet” (2017), “Spark” (2019), “Awakening” (2021), “Were we go” and “Blast of Wind’ (2022), “Spring” (2023), “Inari no Shinshi ~ Gods Foxes~” (2024). Inspired by music, art and events in the world, my dance is created using the dynamics of the physical movement to show the visions of stories and emotions of humans. The focus of my choreographic works is to address reality, sometimes fantasy of humanity and pull out the real feeling from dancers. These “real feelings” gives a life into the dance and can let the audiences are moved throughout the performance. Since no words in the dance, my dancers are required to bring themselves into my choreography to present the reality of the theme and story. Then audience can be moved by the performance as if they watch the inside of themselves. The performing arts is call and response between artists and audiences and I believe that is the last element to complete “My piece of the Choreography”.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Here are three most important qualities, Skills and Areas of the knowledge I think.

First of all, I have to be fair and respect everyone I work with.
Secondly, I must have skill and knowledge proficiency in the filed of my dance professions.
Lastly, Trust myself and keep my passion to develop my works.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My parents always trust me and let me do the things I wanted. Especially, my mother was a special. She also had experiences of classical ballet training, so she knew about ballet. She was not a ballet teacher but she sometimes coached me to improve my technique and presentation. When I couldn’t do well the scene “to look back before step into the house”, she let me do the movement over and over again until I can do it with expressions. I was crying because I can’t do it but she didn’t care. Thanks for the training at home, the scene I practiced with tears was successfully performed, and many people said the action was awesome. Literally, my effort was reworded. My parents loved me but they strictly disciplined me to become a responsible person. Without their support and love, I’m not here in New York as a dancer, choreographer and dance educator.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sayaspringdancetheatre.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ssdt_nyc/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saya-harada-98360039

Image Credits

Photo #6: ©Saya Spring Dance Theatre 2024 all right reserved
The credit for the rest of the photos are on the each photo.