About
When her mirrored reflection comes to life, a lonely dancer caught between Tokyo and San Francisco must embark on an epic chase to find herself. The short film "TONARI" is a cross cultural, cross generational, storytelling experience through contemporary dance and jazz music. Following the film screening will be a live Q&A with Executive Producer Sophia Noel, Band Leader Akira Tana, and film director Ben Tarquin, moderated by Maud Arnold.
This piece seeks to explore new ways for performing arts to connect cultures and people together for learning and creation by merging physical with digital culture, fusing traditional with contemporary art forms and forging a pathway for Tokyo, San Francisco, Black and Japanese art exchange for the first time. In praise of the remix, this project is the future of art; elevating each other's cultures through collaboration, because culture is best shared.
WE ARE TONARI. 8,000 miles away, 40 years apart, and right next to each other.
About the Artists
Executive Producer & Choreographer
Sophia Noel is a contemporary dancer based in Tokyo with Hip-Hop, Salsa, Swing, and Ballet in her repertoire. Graduating from Columbia University, she joined the marketing team at Airbnb headquarters and in addition served as the director of the internal dance program, teaching classes, choreographing and producing performances. In 2019, curiosity around the Japanese language sparked the idea to book a one way ticket to Tokyo where she now performs, choreographs, teaches, and more.
Composer & Jazz Drummer
Born and raised in California, Akira Tana earned degrees from Harvard University and the New England Conservatory of Music. There he performed in both classical and jazz idioms, playing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and student ensembles as well as with musicians such as Helen Humes, Milt Jackson, Sonny Rollins, George Russell, and Sonny Stitt. Tana recorded frequently as a sideman in the 1980s, and began releasing albums as a leader in the 1990s. Currently he is a professor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Director & Cinematographer
Based part of the year in Japan and part of the year in his hometown Oakland, CA, Tarquin is an international videographer, photographer and editor, at the intersection of the classical arts, documentary, and street dance. Tarquin grew up to the sounds of the Oakland underground before studying architecture at La Villette in Paris, France. His experience in design led him over the last decade to help build YAK Films into an internationally acclaimed video production company capturing new forms of street dance emerging from the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Artistic Director & Moderator
Known as one of “Tap’s Leading Ladies,” Maud Arnold is a member of the female tap band Syncopated Ladies, widely known for viral videos that have accumulated over 70 million views, perform on national tours, and were most recently featured in the heartwarming Christmas film "Spirited" on AppleTV+. Maud is also the co-director and producer of the critically acclaimed DC Tap Festival pioneering new experiences for dancers and artists globally with her sister Chloe Arnold. In addition, Maud has quickly become a sought after teacher, judge and performer worldwide, and has taught tap dancing and Afro-Funk in America, Dubai, Brazil, Japan, Spain, Haiti, United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, Croatia, Ukraine and Russia.
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