CREATIVE TEAM

Artistic Director & Choreographer & Producer

Jiemin Yang

Jiemin is a Chinese-American choreographer and performer based in Queens. He holds a MA in Contemporary Dance from the London Contemporary Dance School and a BS from Macaulay Honors College. Jiemin's work has been recognized with the Redtail Artist Residencies ’23 at Jamaica Center for the Arts & Learning and multiple grants from the Queens Council on the Arts. His short dance film Wo/我 has won awards from the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon ’22 and the Queens World Film Festival ’22. Jiemin was honored as Artist of Exceptional Merit ’22 by the Asian American Arts Alliance and has been a resident artist of the CUNY Dance Initiative at Queens College/Kupferberg Center for the Arts from 2021-2022. He has received Artists in Queens Grant 2024 from Flushing Town Hall and Queens Arts Funds ’24 from NYFA4.

IG: @jiemin.art

Dancer/Performer

Mayu

Mayu Yamashita (she/her) is a dancer/performer based in New York and originally from Tokyo, Japan. She has gained experience, including at the Beacon Theater, the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, and more. Her passion for dance motivated her to begin creating new and innovative works by using sounds that we hear in our everyday lives. Mayu believes that dance can be a powerful tool for us by sharing emotions and connecting with each other.

IG: @mayu_y1129

Dancer/Performer

Richard Sayama

Originally from Honolulu, Hawai’i, Richard Sayama graduated early from Marymount Manhattan College with a double major in B.F.A Modern Dance and B.A Business Arts & Management. Upon graduation, Sayama joined Jon Lehrer Dance Company where he has toured domestically and internationally over 5 years. Sayama recently performed with the Limón Dance Company as a guest artist at New York City Center's 2023 Fall for Dance Festival. 

IG:@richardsayama

Composer

James Acampora

James Acampora is primarily a cellist, multi-instrumentalist, visual artist, and composer for film. His music has been featured in multiple films and web series, including the Huntington film festival where his score for “Breathe” won first prize. James studied with multiple classical teachers and theorists while in school and also studied architecture and design at New York Institute of Technology. James uses his well rounded experience in the arts to understand his audience and move those who listen. James is inspired by music ranging from Bach to Japanese folk music, fusion Jazz, R&B and classic rock. James has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Voelker Orth Heritage Museum, The Triad NYC, The NYC Subway, Central Park, The Greene Room, The Tilles Center, countless catering halls throughout NYC and Long Island, and is a frequent busker in NYC. James is an active session musician, scoring and performing music for video games, rock bands, singer-songwriters, and much more. In his spare time he enjoys graphic design and coding on his computer, as well as painting and drawing at different beautiful locations in NYC and Long Island.

www.cellistja.com | IG:@cellistja

Composer

Maulana Malik Ibrahim

Maulana Malik Ibrahim is the stage name of an artist from Sukabumi, West Java, who focuses on traditional Sundanese experimental music, although he graduated from the Informatics Engineering Department at Amik CBI Sukabumi and Stimik Pasim Sukabumi, his love for traditional Sundanese music has led him to become a music artist. Since 2021, Kang Iyansunda, his nickname, has released 2 music albums and 5 singles. In his first album "guling gasah", in the song "gumincrak", kang iyan successfully collaborated with 24 international dancers, released to coincide with world peace day, "world peace day", kang iyan gave a message that with music can unite all artists with different tribes, ethnicities, religions and nationalities. Until now, kang iyan has consistently brought traditional Sundanese values in every musical work, and has also collaborated with musicians and artists from various music genres, and musicians across countries. As the founder of a community called Sayang iwung, kang iyan dedicates himself to educating the younger generation to continue to preserve traditional sundanese bamboo music.

IG @iyansunda; Youtube

Voice Over

Shan Y. Chuang

Shan Y. Chuang, a talented queer artist from Taiwan, excels in acting, singing, dancing, and choreography. She proudly graduated from Circle in the Square’s Musical Theater program. Shan was awarded a City Artist Corps Grant and created “10 Years In The Making, 10 Years Of Me”. With over a decade of performances in NYC, Shan's work explores themes of LGBTQIA+ identity, social justice, and self-discovery through the language of dance. She has also collaborated with MOCA on several productions. IG @shanychuang

IG @shanychuang

Costume Designer

Hao-Yun Emily Hsieh

Hao-Yun Emily Hsieh is a Taiwanese multi-disciplinary artist with BFAs in Art and Design from YUAN-ZE University, and Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her recent works focus on the theater space exploring queer and Asian narratives. She has designed costumes for Little Cinema’s rendition of The Never Ending Story at House of Yes, and Tiananmen Requiem at The Players Theatre.

IG:@emmii.hs