movement poetry performance video

I make my art to explore improvisation, intimacy and the psychospiritual.. to promote play and embodiment.. and as research into what haunts me, multiplicities of identity & culture, and portals into world building.

My work has received funding from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, and been presented by Ten Tiny Dances, East Portland Arts and Literary Festival, Portland Underground Film Festival and others.

Crystal J Sasaki

Selected Works

Shangri-la Sisters, on Love - 2021
w. Salty Xi Jie Ng
Creative Music Guild Outset Series at Kex Hotel, Portland

Adaptating - 2021
Ten Tiny Community Healing Dances
Lents Park, Portland

Dyad: Dance and Music Duos - 2021
improvisation w. musician Darian Anthony Patrick
PWNW + Portland Jazz Ensemble, Performance Works NW

Healing Harlequin - 2019
w. Salty Xi Jie Ng, Grace Amber & Saliha
In-Between Festival, Kickstand Comedy, Portland

<3 U - 2018
video installation;
Peripheral Forms, Performance Works NW

Autumn Weaves - 2018
w. Salty Xi Jie Ng & Jared Maurice Dancler
EPALF & Intersect Festival at Portland Institute of Contemporary Art

Whale Fall - 2018
w. musician Jared Maurice Dancler
Ten Tiny Dances, Beaverton

Coppe - 2017
Choreographer in Residence Showcase
New Expressive Works, Portland

Red Water - 2015
Pure AQUWA Festival by PAAJ Collective, Los Angeles CA

Alma - 2015
w. poet Alana Seigel for Frank O’Hara All Star Reading
Mattress Factory, San Francisco

Aardvark Meditations - 2014
video art, w. EV Echovia
screenings: Portland Underground Film Festival at Clinton St. Theater 2018; The Pain Store by Timeless Infinite Light, San Francisco 2016; Trigger Magazine Release at EM Wolfman, Oakland 2015; Pool-side Picture Show in Joshua Tree 2015

Intimacy - 2014
Salta is July Dance House, Oakland

Facilitation

2021 Nourish Series, Woodlawn Park, funded by RACC

2018-2019 Movement Feels Research Group, Portland OR

2014-2015 Sonic Meditations Research Group, Oakland CA

Arts Jobs

2022 Box Office, Danspace, St Mark’s Church NYC

2021 Dancer, Three Betrayals, Catalina Ouyang, NYC

2021 Choreographer, Out Dance Project, Boom and Bust, Virtual

2019-22 Program Admin, Headwaters Theater Pod, Water in the Desert

2018 Childrens Dance Teacher, Mt. Scott Community Center, Portland

2018 Somatic Artist, The Grandma Reporter Is. 2, Salty Xi Jie Ng

2017-18 Accounting Assist. for TBA, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art

2017 Dancer for Direct Path to Detour by Takahiro Yamamoto Midwest Tour

2015 Arts Admin Fellow, Counterpulse Theater, San Francisco

2008-2018 Freelance Artists Model

Education

2021-2022 Deep Listening Institute, Intensive Facilitator Trainings

2014- ongoing Butoh workshops with Tebby W.T Ramasike, Kudo Taketeru, Minako Seki, Mari Osanai, Natsu Nakajima, Maureen Fleming, Ken Mai, Eiko Atake, Yumiko Yoshioko, Sankai Juku

2018 Lisa Nelson’s Tuning Scores
2017 Suprapto Suryodarmo’s Amerta Movement
2016-2019 Margit Galanter’s Cave Coast Collective

2016 BA Dance and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley
w. Amara Tabor-Smith, Sean San Jose, Trinh T. Minh-ha

crystal jsasaki

crystal j
sasaki