Mariko Aoyama

Biography

Born on 7th December 1950 in Osaka, Japan, Mariko Aoyama studied classic ballet with Toshiko Nishiuchi for 17 years until she left for Europe.
After perfecting her ballet technique at l’Académie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace under the direction of Marika Besobrasova, she danced as a soloist in different ballet and contemporary companies all over in Europe (1973-2000): Stadttheater Klagenfurt, Théâtre des Arts de Rouen, Ballet Royale de Wallonie, Ballet Théâtre Français de Nancy, Théâtre chorégraphique de Rennes, Ballet Cullberg — Stockholm and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.

She met Pina Bausch in 1986 and danced with the Tanztheater Wuppertal until 1995 during which time she performed in more than 20 pieces of Pina Bausch and participated in her creations.
Since 1995 she was invited as a guest dancer and also as Ms. Bausch’s assistant and continues to stage Ms. Bausch’s works:
As her personal assistant for the new creation of Barbe Bleue at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (with Pierre Boulez, 1998) and as her assistant and rehearsal director, for the stagings of Le Sacre du Printemps (1997, 1998, 2002, 2010-2011) and of Orphée et Euridice (2005, 2008, 2011-2012) for the Ballet de l’Opéra National de Paris.

Since 2000, Mats Ek regularly invites Mariko as his assistant for the staging of Appartement (2000, 2003, 2012), A sort of... (2008 and 2011) and Casi Casa (2009, 2011, 2012) for: The Ballet de l’Opéra National de Paris, The Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montréal, The Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich, The Swedish Royal Ballet in Stockholm, la Danza Contemporanea de Cuba in Havana, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in the US.

During she was in Ballet Cullberg as a dancer in the beginning of the eighty’s, she danced in Mats Ek’s various creations: Giselle, La Maison de Bernarda, Norbotten, Le Sacre du Printemps, Eldstad, Parken etc. She took part in the films: The dream is over (Christopher Bruce, 1985), La Maison de Bernarda (Mats Ek, 1986 ) and Giselle (Mats Ek, 1987).

She also collaborated with Mats Ek as a costume designer for Eldstad (1986).

She has been also assistant and rehearsal director of:
Saburo Teshigawara for White Cloud Under the Heels (Frankfurt Ballet Forsythe 1995), and his version of Le Sacre du printemps (Bayerischer Ballet 1999),
Russell Malliphant for 12/21 at l’Opéra de Lyon (2004),
Josef Nadj for Il n’y a plus de firmament, a Vidy-Lausanne production with Jean Babilée and Yoshi Oida (2002-04) and for the creation Asobu at the Festival d’Avignon (2006-07).

Mariko gives Workshops/Masterclass, makes Choreographic works and collaborates in various artistic creations / projects in Europe and Japan.