ABOUT

Ranko Ogura Dance
CONTACTS : rodance@hotmail.co.jp

Ranko Ogura Dance(ROdance) was established in 2008 and is based in the Bay Area. The initial impetus was for the company to be a platform for artistic director Ranko Ogura to explore the Japanese soul dance Butoh. She was particularly interested in the Butoh’s practice of Noguchi Taiso Technique that explores gravity and creates an earth-bound grace to inspire her artistic journey of dance-making. Through its performances, ROdance promotes environmental preservation. ROdance has performed at venues throughout the Bay Area and has toured to nine different cities in Japan. The company also conducts Butoh, Noguchi Taiso workshops.

Ranko Ogura,
Dancer, Choreographer and Artisitic Director

Ranko Ogura is a San Francisco-based dancer and Choreographer. She established Ranko Ogura Dance in 2008. From the onset of her dance career, she has explored the ever-evolving relationshp between human beings, nature, gravity and the universe. Influencing her approach has been the philosophy and conseption of Zen. Her performances embody the meaning of "Wabi Sabi"(austere beauty, elegant simplicity)
Butoh shares the philosophy with Japanese Buddhism Zen, and the quintessence of dance emerges through its mode of expression. She creates dance performances based on her deep understanding of the harmony between Butoh and nature. Through her performances, she also promotes environmental preservation.

Ranko's movement derives from Butoh and Noguchi Taiso concepts and she innovated " Water Body Movement". She integrates Butoh with contemporary dance and created original performances with many artists. She performs at local festivals and tours Japan as a cultural ambassador. She conducts local and international workshops in Butoh.

Work

"Japan tour" Fukuoka Japan 2024

"Ripe Area Festival" El Dorado CA 2024

"San Francisco International Art Festival "Land of Kamuy- Soil and Soul" 2024

"Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival" 2023

"USA Shakuhachi concert tour" New York 2023

"San Francisco International Art Festival "HAMON-ring on the water" 2023
"USA Asian American Festival" San Francisco, 2020.

" Japan tour 2018-2019 -Tokyo, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Niigata, Sapporo, Otaru 2018, 2019

" Water Pilgrimage" San Francisco 2019

" Cherry Blossom Festival" San Francisco & Palo Alto 2012-2019, 2021-2024

" Nikkei immigrant Angel Island Pilgrimage" Angel Island 2018

" Distant cry of deer" Richmond 2017

" Kyoto-kai New Years party" Berkeley 2017

" Hitori " San Francisco 2016
" SUNset MOONrise San Francisco 2015

" Samurai Gasha event" San Francisco 2014, 2015
" Untimely Flowering " San Francisco 2013

" Yerba Buena Summer stage" San Francisco 2013

" Japan Day at Japan town" San Francisco 2013
" International Art Museum One year universally Gala" San Francisco 2012

" Oakland Fukuoka sister city Association Gala" Oakland 2012
" Flow " San Francisco 2011

OTHER WORKS

"Opera :Carmina Burana" (dancer) San Francisco 2019

"Musical: Allegiance" (Japanese folk dance-Choreographer) El Cerrito 2018

"Water

TEACHES

"Community dance class" San Francisco 2004-2024

" Noguchi Taiso Water Body Butoh Workshop" San Francisco 2016-2024, Japan 2017

" Butoh Workshop- Guest artist" Sonoma state University 2019, 2020