Benjamin Akio Kimitch’s “Tiger Hands”

Mixed Asian Media - August 4, 2022

By Alex Chester-Iwata

I love to dance. I’ve studied ballet, jazz, tap, and (of course) musical theatre since I was 5. I even got my B.A. in dance. Dance has always been a therapeutic outlet, and while I may no longer participate in daily dance classes or performances, I so enjoy learning about others that do.

Benjamin Akio Kimitch has created something new and exciting, a “reimagining of commodified East-meets-West stereotypes in dance.” Tiger Hands is part of one of the Shed's eight Open Call commissioned artists, Benjamin is showcasing his new work for free as part of the institution's festival series, Summer Sway. I can’t wait to see this new and engaging work, and if you live in NYC I hope you will join me in attending this event August 4th-6th at The Shed.

While we wait with anticipation for opening night, I had the pleasure of interviewing Benjamin and learning more about how his mixed identity has influenced his art. 

What was it like growing up for you? Did you have a positive or negative experience being mixed?

I grew up in a large suburb near Minneapolis, Minnesota. The population is largely Scandinavian, but the Twin Cities have good cultural diversity. I wasn’t conscious of it at the time, but I was code-switching a lot when I was at home, at Bachan’s house, at Chinese dance class, at school, or at Buddhist church. Being mixed-race (white and Japanese) informed how I experienced all these spaces. I’m still processing this. More negative than anything though was navigating these spaces while being in the closet.

How old were you when you started dancing?

I think I took my first class when I was 7 years old, but I was definitely dancing around the house well before then. 

Was it something you pursued on your own or was it something your family put you in?

I am lucky to have had very supportive parents. I don’t remember how it happened, but I’m told I became obsessed with this American Ballet Theatre performance on PBS, and a family friend told my mom to put me in a class so I didn’t hurt myself trying to copy everything. I’ve always loved dance. 

What has your training looked like? And what made you decide to learn traditional Chinese dance?

I began taking ballet around age 7, and as a boy, I was encouraged by a family friend to try a master class hosted by a Chinese dance school based in the Hennepin Center for the Arts in Minneapolis. This was in 1995, and I stayed at that dance school for eight years. My childhood years were mostly in Chinese folk dance. In high school and through freshman year at NYU Tisch, I pursued musical theatre. I later transferred to Tisch’s dance conservatory where I learned ballet and contemporary. While interning at Dance Theater Workshop in NYC, I was exposed to more progressive approaches to performance and really found my tribe there. 

How has your mixed identity shaped who you are today and how has it influenced the dance and movements you create?

In general, I suppose that I rarely take things at face value. I'm always asking questions. 

What else influences or inspires your choreography?  

I love seeing work. Michael Clark and Leigh Bowery, Romeo Castellucci, Lucinda Childs, Sarah Michelson are influential. Charles Atlas films. My favorite dance is In the Upper Room by Twyla Tharp. Newark (Niweweorce) by Trisha Brown is a close second. But maybe right now it’s Agon by George Balanchine. When I was living in Shanghai, I loved going to the Chinese opera maybe once a week, even though I couldn't read the subtitles. I watch a lot of Chinese minority folk dances on YouTube. In 2019, I saw this musical by David Henry Hwang called Soft Power, which was so great.

Was your Japanese side interned?

Yes, my grandparents and infant aunt were put in the Poston concentration camp during World War II.

Do you think this has also influenced you as an artist?

I don’t have the words to articulate this yet, but yes.

What is authentic to you vs. traditional regarding your choreography and storytelling?

It’s a great question because it’s exactly what I’m asking in this work, Tiger Hands at The Shed. Hopefully, without being too didactic, the dance itself invites these questions for the audience.

What does self-care look like for you?

Alone time. I love good TV. Supporting my friends in Brooklyn nightlife. I started going to therapy last year. This project has been so incredibly stressful, but at its core there’s a personal journey of finding myself and community, which is definitely self-care. 

What’s next?

First, a big nap. I tend to work slowly as an artist. I'll see what new questions or continued threads want to inform my next artistic project.