Mayu Nakaya (she/her)

is an individual professional contemporary dance artist originally from Japan. Currently, Mayu, as a dancer, has worked with Obremski/Works, Drye Marinaro Dance Company, Helen Simoneau Danse, SAXYN Dance Works, Li Chiao-Ping Dance (based in Wisconsin), Rogue Wave with Catherine Messina, Six Degrees Dance, Dance Archemy for the Soul, Faustine Lavie Dance Project, sarAika Movement Collective, One Day Dance, iKADA Contemporary Dance CompanyYoshito Sakuraba, Miranda Stuck, Yuki Ishiguro, Kanon Sugino.

As a choreographer, Mayu has presented her work at several dance festivals in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Japan. Mayu also received several awards as both a solo dancer and a choreographer in various competitions in Japan and South Korea from 2016-2019. 

She began ballet at three and graduated from the contemporary dance course at Tokyo Metropolitan High School of Arts and the dance laboratory | Physical Education at Tsukuba University in Japan. She gained extensive experience in contemporary dance, improvisation, and choreography during her studies through numerous performances and competition experiences. 

She moved to New York and learned at The Ailey School from 2019-2021.

-As a contemporary dance artist,

Mayu’s dance has been nurtured and inspired by the many artists she has encountered since beginning her journey in contemporary dance. Constantly seeking evolution, her movement is distinctive and dynamic, aiming for subtle expressions that bring awareness to the fine details of the body.

She is deeply interested in exploring the relationship between space and the body, and the flow of energy that connects them.

As a contemporary dance artist, her works delve into philosophical questions rooted in the subconscious, transforming elusive thoughts and emotions into physical expression.

Grounded in improvisation, Mayu’s intuitive process merges research and analysis, creating a world where coincidence and calculation intertwine — simple yet complex, spontaneous yet deliberate.

中谷眞弓

東京都出身。幼少からバレエを習い、高校よりコンテンポラリーダンス・振付学ぶ。東京都立総合芸術高校舞台表現科コンテンポラリーダンスコース、

筑波大学体育専門学群卒業。片岡康子、二見一幸、加賀谷香、平山素子に師事。

自作のソロ・グループ作品を制作・参加し、多数の全国舞踊コンクールにて上位受賞。

2019年、ニューヨークに移住。The Ailey Schoolにて2年間学び、現在プロフェッショナルコンテンポラリーダンサー・振付家として活動。

ダンサーとして複数のプロジェクトベースカンパニーに所属する傍ら、フリーの振付家としてカンパニーに作品を提供、ニューヨーク内外でパフォーマンスを行う。

日本では、加賀谷香、二見一幸、柳本雅寛、柿崎麻莉子の作品に出演。INOVATION WORLD FESTA、座・高円寺、片岡康子主宰DANCE HOUSEにて受賞作品を披露。

Mayuの踊りはコンテンポラリーダンスを始めてから出逢ってきたアーティスト達に感化され育まれてきた為、常に進化を求めており、動きは独特かつダイナミックで、身体の細部へ意識を向けた繊細な表現をめざしている。 空間×身体の関係性やエネルギーの流れ方に焦点を当てた身体表現に興味がある。 コンテンポラリーダンス・アーティストとして彼女の作品は、潜在意識に根ざした哲学的な問いを探求し、とらえどころのない思考や感情を踊りとして表現する。 そして即興に根ざしたMayuの直感的なプロセスはリサーチと分析のもと偶然と計算の交わったシンプルかつ複雑な世界観を生み出す。

 Awards

Listen to the Voice from Underground (solo)

2019 | Seoul International Dance Competition, Senior Female Division - Jury's Special Prize

2018 | World Dance Competition Niigata, Senior Division - First Place

2018 | Saitama All Japan Competition - Top 12

Hana to Chiru (solo)

2017 | Nakano Dance Competition Tokyo - 4th place

2018 | The Kobe Dance Competition - Top8

Genyo no Uta (Duo)

2017 | Artistic Movement in Toyama - North Japan Newspaper Prize, Za Koenji Dance Award

mirage (Trio)

2016 | Artistic Movement in Toyama - Jury’s Special Prize

 EDUCATION

2019-21 | The Ailey School | Scholarship Study Program, Professional Division

2015-19 | University of Tsukuba | College of Physical Education, Dance Laboratory (Japan)

2012-15 | Tokyo Metropolitan Senior High School of The Arts | Stage Performance Division, Contemporary Dance Course(Japan)

PERFORMANCES

Mirage no wana (2024.12)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Kanon Sugino
LOCATION - Triskelion Arts

Seolh (2024.11)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Thryn Saxon
LOCATION - Triskelion Arts

Suspire (2024.05)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Tulia Joy Marshall

LOCATION - Peri Dance Center

Beyond the sea (2023)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Yoshito Sakuraba
LOCATION - The Tank, Cannonball Festival, Philadelphia Fringe

Brimming (excerpt) (2022)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Jesse Obremski
LOCATION - DANCING BEYOND by Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance

Island (2022)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Jie-Hung Connie shiau
LOCATION - DANCING BEYOND by Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance

The Dinner Party (2019)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Jessica Castro
LOCATION - Filmed at The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago, Brooklyn Museum

Roca My Soul (2019)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Alvin Ailey
LOCATION - Thanksgiving Day Parade

FLDP Performance (2022-2025)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Faustine Lavie
LOCATION - Steps On Broadway, University Settlement, West Fest Dance Festival

LCPD Performance (2024)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Li Chiao-Ping
LOCATION - SEED Dance Festival, Death’s Door Dance Festival, University of Wisconsin

ROGUE WAVE (2023-2025)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Catherine messina
LOCATION - The Tank, Atlanta, Sacred Heart University, Center for Performance Research, etc.

Delicate Power (2023-2024)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Helen Simoneau
LOCATION - Alabama Dance Festival, Dance Cleveland

Obremski/Works (2023-2024)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Jesse Obremski
LOCATION - AAPI Montclair, The Jamaica Dance festival, Arts On Site

iKADA Dance (2023-2024)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Mee Jung
LOCATION - KoDaFe at The Ailey Theatre, Dance Parade2024

sarAika Movement Collective (2022-2024)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Sara Pizzi, Aika Takeshima
LOCATION - GreenSpace, JamaicaCenterforArts, QueensBoroDanceFestival, JapanParade, PrideParade, etc.

Yu.S.Artistry (2022-)

CHOREOGRAPHER - Yuki Is
LOCATION - Dixon Place, Villa Joseph Marie High School, Poster House, Philladelphia Frige/Cannonball Festival