KAMBARA+ was founded in 2015 by Yayoi Kambara after her retirement from ODC/Dance in San Francisco as a vehicle to produce her choreography that focuses on creating dance performance experiences that cultivate a sense of belonging. KAMBARA+ defines equity as belonging. For audience members, performers, and creative partners in the studio, belonging is the bridge we build together to narrate and perform new dynamic works and expand our collective empathy. KAMBARA+’s purpose is to build a bridge between audiences and live performance experiences. We produce with attention to inclusion and access; we communicate with audiences, presenters, and communities to find the needs we can support for our live performance experiences. While we create, we understand that speaking can be like drafting – what you say and do might not be perfectly polished. Dance concerts are shiny and finished but that’s not the end of the story.

KAMBARA+ recognizes dancers and their choreographic contribution, considering the work to be partially devised. In her choreographic practice, Kambara is interested in the authentic voice of the body and its inherent identity in performance. She focuses her choreography on diverse cultural, economic, and ethnic differences by creating space for empathy and dialogue. Taking time to create with a diverse cast is her way of preserving optimism as dance can represent the ineffable resiliency of the human spirit to continue in the face of uncertainty.