February 28, 2026 8:00 pm
Urban Steps: DC, NYC, and Tokyo is a dynamic triple bill that explores how cities and cultures shape our identity. This collaboration brings together three distinct voices, Chandini Darby, Kyoko Fujimoto, and Umami Playground Dance Inc., to present a powerful evening of dance inspired by their homes. The project originated from a performance in NYC where Kyoko and Umami Playground shared works, sparking a conversation about the profound connections artists have to their urban environments.
Chandini Darby will create a piece that honors her roots and cultural memory in Washington, DC. As a visionary leader and educator, Chandini’s work will use movement as both personal archaeology and a universal language, crafting an immersive encounter that reflects the spirit and history of the nation’s capital.
Originally from Tokyo, Kyoko Fujimoto presents a new work that explores her deep connection to the city she has always wanted to choreograph about. Drawing on her interdisciplinary background, Kyoko will create a piece that portrays the city’s meticulous order, from its structured politeness to its intricate systems. This work will reflect Tokyo’s unique blend of tradition and modernity.
Umami Playground Dance Inc. brings their work, “MTA,” a vibrant and rhythmic exploration of the unique experience of navigating NYC’s subway system. Specializing in street dance forms like House and Popping, the collective will capture the energy, encounters, and controlled chaos of the city’s underground life.
Urban Steps: DC, NYC, and Tokyo is a celebration of diverse dance forms and the real-world connections that shape us as artists. By creating a dialogue between each artist’s unique perspective, the performance highlights how movement can tell stories of our origins and journeys, inviting audiences to reflect on their own sense of place and belonging.
Runtime: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Ages: All Ages
Chandini Darby, Kyoko Fujimoto, and Umami Playground Dance Inc. are three distinct yet complementary artistic forces whose work spans continents, cultures, and dance forms. Together, they share a commitment to creating transformative, inclusive, and boundary-crossing experiences that invite audiences into movement’s power to connect across difference.
Chandini Darby is a performer, choreographer, educator, and Co-Founder and Artistic Director of The VIVA School in Washington, DC. A visionary leader, she uses movement as both personal archaeology and universal language, crafting immersive encounters rooted in cultural memory and authentic human connection. Her work—commissioned by institutions such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Arena Stage—layers organic groove, rhythmic complexity, and emotional resonance. As founder of The Beauty for Ashes Project, she uplifts untold stories, including her 2017 dance film Hair Like Fall, which screened in New York and DC. Through The VIVA School, she pioneers dance education centered on young dancers of color, reshaping the industry’s future.
Kyoko Fujimoto, PhD, is a versatile choreographer based in Washington DC whose journey began with classical ballet and musical theater in Japan, Boston, and New York City. She holds a BA in Physics and a PhD in Electrical Engineering, an interdisciplinary background that informs her work. Fujimoto’s choreography often explores unexpected themes like video games and medical. In 2018, CriticalDance noted that her food ballet, Flavorland, “”expertly captures the joyful experience of devouring a chocolate truffle.”” In 2025, Dancing in the District lauded her “”daring choreography”” and the “”juxtaposition of humor and metaphysics”” in her works. A recipient of the FY25 Arts and Humanities Fellowship Grant, Fujimoto creates expansive and welcoming choreography that resonate with diverse audiences.
Umami Playground Dance Inc., founded in 2022, is a collective of movers dedicated to the core values of Explore, Play, and Make Mistakes. Specializing in House, Popping, Tutting, Breaking, Floorwork, and Contemporary dance, they are among the rare companies bridging street and contemporary dance. Their works—such as Playground (2023), which incorporated gugak (Korean traditional music), and Elements of Life (2024), which reimagined East Asian elemental symbols—blend cultural traditions with theatrical innovation. Infused with humor, humanity, and a deep respect for everyday stories, their performances have appeared at venues including the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, Texas Amphibian Stage SparkFest, and the NYC Pride Parade. Committed to community, they have hosted over 50 workshops, produced free showcases, and performed more than 20 free outdoor shows in Queens.
Together, Chandini, Kyoko, and Umami Playground bring a kaleidoscopic vision to dance—one where the precision and joy of dance and the immersive power of storytelling coexist. Their collaboration reflects a belief that diverse artistic voices, when in dialogue, can spark new creative possibilities and invite audiences into spaces of curiosity, empathy, and shared celebration.