Grantee Database

Yuuki AOKI

• 2026
• Dance
• Japan to Malaysia

To immerse himself in Malaysia’s Penan community, experiencing their hunter-gatherer practices firsthand. With the support of a cultural anthropologist closely connected to the Penan community, Aoki will participate in daily activities such as gathering, moving, and preparing meals, exploring cultural exchange through nonverbal collaboration in which shared values and bodily awareness can emerge. By experiencing the Penan community’s hunter-gatherer practices firsthand, he will explore new forms of expression that connect urban and hunter-gatherer embodiment and develop his understanding of Penan’s communal and cyclical worldview, which offers important insights for contemporary society. Respecting the community’s perspectives, he aims to gain embodied knowledge of humans in connection with nature, which he will integrate into his creative practice and workshops.

Chien-Wei WU

Country / Region:
• Taiwan

• 2026
• Dance
• Taiwan to Hong Kong

To research the lives and artistic practices of choreographers Lai Hoi Ning and Mui Cheuk-yin (ACC 1989) and related temporal shifts in the ecology of Hong Kong’s performing arts sector. Wu’s research will focus on Lai Hoi Ning and Mui Cheuk-yin (ACC 1989) whose creations and artistic practices are deeply intertwined with Hong Kong’s history, reflect the essence of contemporary Hong Kong, and probe existential conditions faced by individuals and communities in response to their social environments. Through interviews, observations, and research into their works, Wu hopes to gain insights into how these artists perceive Hong Kong through their memories and creations.

• 2019
• Dance
• Taiwan to United States

to explore the contemporary dance scene of New York City and its development in reference to the other art forms

WANG Qizheng

• 2026
• Dance
• China to United States

To conduct targeted research in choreography with the aim of building a framework for stage arts that responds to contemporary societal issues. Wang, who is a deputy director of the renowned Shanghai Dance Theater, will immerse himself in New York’s diverse cultural environment and expand his artistic vocabulary through visits to theaters, museums, archives, and cultural institutions, as well as by attending workshops and interdisciplinary discussions. He will connect with artists, scholars, and curators from various fields to exchange perspectives on choreography, performance, and cross-disciplinary creation, to better understand how artistic languages merge in practice. Wang hopes this experience will build an open, cross-disciplinary mindset that strengthens his creative practice and theoretical research, and that the fellowship will foster cross-cultural dialogue that contributes to the broader development of contemporary dance and stage arts.

Toni Shapiro-Phim

Country / Region:
• United States

• 1992
• Dance
• United States to Indonesia

To study and document Cambodian performing arts events during the annual Festival of the Waters in Phnom Penh in November 1992.

Sheu Fang Yi

Country / Region:
• Taiwan

• 2026
• Dance
• Taiwan to Korea

To explore how, within a similar Asian physique, South Korea transforms its quiet traditional roots and innovative energy into a breathtaking vitality on stage and on camera. For this fellowship, "Seeing the Light of the Body," Sheu will be based in Seoul, closely observing how local performing arts practitioners develop highly energized forms of bodily expressions. She will engage with dance companies, theater productions, academic institutions, and film productions, immersing herself within their rehearsals and creative processes. Upon her return to Taiwan, Sheu plans to transform her cultural exchange experience into nutrients for her future creative methods and will share these insights through talks and workshops.

• 2007
• Grant to Baryshnikov Dance Foundation

• 2007
• Grant to Baryshnikov Dance Foundation

• 2006
• Dance
• Taiwan to United States

six-month fellowship to observe contemporary dance activities and collaborate with dancers and other artists in China and in the United States during 2006-2007

Otniel TASMAN

• 2026
• Dance
• Indonesia to United States

To deepen his artistic and intellectual understanding through direct encounters with various practices, performances, and archives related to the body, gender, and spirituality. Tasman will explore the historicity of the body and aesthetic difference through archival research, interviews, and performance observations, focusing on the Lengger traditional dance and queer performance. Through these experiences, Tasman aims to expand his understanding of how the body carries both history and possibility and how performance can act as a site of transformation for spirituality, queerness, and aesthetics. The fellowship will provide contemplative space and critical distance necessary for Tasman to reflect on his ongoing research and to reframe his practice within a broader cross-cultural and philosophical context.

Florence CHEONG

• 2025
• Dance
• Macau to United States

To explore the origins of New York’s theater scene and participate in workshops uncovering how videography is used in New York theaters.

Anna KURODA

• 2025
• Dance
• Japan to United States

To research sustainable choreography, technique preservation, community inheritance, and the influence of 1970s–80s interdisciplinary collaborations on the field of contemporary dance, particularly through the work and history of Trisha Brown.

Ma. Alexa Andrea TORTE

• 2025
• Dance
• Philippines to United States

To pursue an MFA in Dance at Smith College to integrate traditional Filipino movement with contemporary dance, examining themes of identity, resilience, and transformation.

Maria Patricia Bernas

• 2024
• Dance
• Philippines to United States

To continue pursuing a Master of Science in Dance Movement Therapy at Sarah Lawrence College, training to create more inclusive approaches to dance and movement.

Mariska Febriyani

• 2024
• Dance
• Indonesia to United States

To contribute to the advancement of the Indonesian dance scene after an immersive experience in New York’s vibrant dance world and professional dance management scene.

Benjamin Kimitch

• 2024
• Dance
• United States to Japan

To embody classical dance forms and shadow performing artists Yasuko Yokoshi and Fumiya Otonashi on their daily studio practice and artistic craft, grounded in Nihon Buyo recital dance and Gagaku court performance traditions.