Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer (1985)
“I have three tasks in my life: to dance, to teach dance, and to create dance,” says the pioneering Japanese performer Akiko Kanda in this intimate portrait of creativity and individuality, After seeing a Martha Graham performance in college, Kanda left her family behind in Japan and arrived in New York City, where she studied under the legendary Graham and became a principal dancer with the troupe. Following the wiry artist as she moves from practice floor to performance hall, and from the cramped single-room apartment she lives in to a trip home to see her aging mother, director Sumiko Haneda reveals a woman who has rebelled against traditional ideals of marriage and motherhood, and who nearly single-handedly brought modern dance to Japan-and kept it alive. “When I die,” Kanda tells the director, “I will be content if I can just say, ‘I danced.'”
Cast
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer about?
- “I have three tasks in my life: to dance, to teach dance, and to create dance,” says the pioneering Japanese performer Akiko Kanda in this intimate portrait of creativity and individuality, After seeing a Martha Graham performance in college, Kanda left her family behind in Japan and arrived in New York City, where she studied under the legendary Graham and became a principal dancer with the troupe. Following the wiry artist as she moves from practice floor to performance hall, and from the cramped single-room apartment she lives in to a trip home to see her aging mother, director Sumiko Haneda reveals a woman who has rebelled against traditional ideals of marriage and motherhood, and who nearly single-handedly brought modern dance to Japan-and kept it alive. “When I die,” Kanda tells the director, “I will be content if I can just say, ‘I danced.'”
- Who directed Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer?
- Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer was directed by Sumiko Haneda.
- Who stars in Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer?
- Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer stars Akiko Kanda.
- How long is Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer?
- Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer has a runtime of 1h 47m (107 minutes).
- What genre is Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer?
- Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer is a Documentary film.
- Where was Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer produced?
- Akiko: Portrait of a Dancer was produced in Japan.