Saturday, January 10
3 - 3:30 pm
This event is free and open to the public. RSVP is not required.
Kindly note seating is not available for this event.
Kanami Kusajima, originally from Japan, is a dancer, choreographer, and performing artist. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from SUNY Purchase College with a BFA in Dance. Trained as a concert dancer, she has performed in works by various choreographers such as Martha Graham, Francesca Harper, Yoshiko Chuma, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Erin Landers, and Meagan Ahern.
Kusajima has also used the handle “Let Hair Down” as a street performer since November 2020, when NYC was still experiencing the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown. She began dancing in Washington Square Park to remind people of the beauty of raw human emotion and connection, which cannot be replaced by online interactions.
Kusajima’s unique performance style—combining dance and painting—has drawn media attention from Voice of America, New York Magazine, SHOWTIME, AM New York, and PIX11 News, among others. She was also one of the choreographers selected for the MADE BY WOMEN Film & Choreography Festival 2024. Additionally, she was invited to perform her solo dance work at Judson Memorial Church by Pioneers Go East Collective in May 2025.
As her works gain recognition in the New York art scene, Kusajima has been invited to perform at major art events such as Every Woman Biennial, Tribeca Art Show, ChaShaMa Gala, and The Westhampton Beach Project. Kusajima also began collaborating with Mary Frank in March 2024.