Michiko Iseri
Michiko Iseri, known professionally as Michiko, is a Japanese American choreographer and dancer.
During World War II, Michiko was interned at Heart Mountain Relocation Center, an internment camp for Japanese Americans, where she taught dance classes to fellow internees.[1] Post-internment, she moved to New York City, establishing herself as a dance teacher, influencing dancers such as La Meri and performing at the Museum of Natural History's ethnic dance programs.[1]
Michiko was a dance consultant and dancer for the Broadway production and movie adaptation of the musical The King and I.[1]
Early Life[edit]
Michiko Iseri lived with her mother, Shizu, and her father, Torahei; her parents were born in Japan and traveled to the west coast of the United States in the early 20th century.[2] Michiko had six siblings, Yoshiko, Toshiko, Tayeko, Shigeru, Saburo (George), and Sunao (Harry).[3][3] The family owned a general store in Gardena, California, where she worked.[3]
Outside of working and school, Michiko spent most of her time taking dance lessons, teaching younger children, and performing. She studied Japanese dancing, as well as kabuki dancing, from a very young age. Before World War II, Michiko joined a pan-Asian dance company that was run by Teiko Ono. Here, she learned many styles of dance including Chinese, Japanese, Balinese, Thai, and Burmese.[1] She continued training, performing, and choreographing until 1942 when Michiko, her family, and other Japanese Americans were told to leave their homes. Michiko and some of her family members ended up at the Santa Anita racetrack, where they lived in horse stalls for a couple of months.[3]
Internment at Heart Mountain[edit]
In August of 1942, Michiko and her family were put on a train from the racetrack to the Heart Mountain Internment Camp where they were met by her youngest brother Shig.[3] Michiko was asked to assemble and teach a dance class within the camp. Michiko and her mother, Shizu, sewed costumes and wigs for the dancers from scraps. In October of 1944, Michiko received a letter from her previous dance troupe teacher and was offered a position in New York that would allow for her departure from Heart Mountain.[3]
Career[edit]
Life in New York[edit]
Michiko moved to New York at the age of 21.[1] She was able to resume her dance career where she performed in the Natural History Museum's ethnic dance programs and the "Rally for a Democratic Japan" at the Manhattan Center in January 1946.[4] In 1946 she designed the costumes for the musical Lute Song. It was on the set of Lute Song where she first met Yul Brynner.
The King and I[edit]
Michiko worked on the 1951 original production of The King and I where she was billed as an "Oriental Dance Consultant". She also performed in the show as one of only two featured Asian dancers.[1][5]
Michiko continued on with the show national tour as well as the 1956 film adaptation where she insisted on strict cultural authenticity in the dancing and was ready to quit due to resulting conflicts.[6]
A new song, "Getting to Know You," was added that would feature her in a solo dance; the scene involved the Siamese children being fascinated by Anna's hoop skirt. Michiko staged the dance so that the children would surround her, imitating a hoop skirt with their bodies.[6]
Later Life[edit]
Michiko traveled worldwide to further study dance, including Thailand, where she was taught the classical mask dance, a dance rarely taught to anyone not from Thailand.[1] Later in life, Michiko settled down and moved back to Japan with her husband, a Japanese Kabuki actor. She then moved back to the United States, where she lived and worked in New York City.[3]
Michiko celebrated her 100th birthday in 2023.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Getting to Know You: Broadway Meets Heart Mountain." Asian American Writers' Workshop, 25 Aug. 2022, aaww.org/michiko-iseri-heart-mountain.
- ^ "Happy to know her." Rafu Shimpo. March 3, 2023 https://rafu.com/2023/03/happy-to-know-her/
- ^ a b c d e f g Accardo, J. M. (2014). O-sode no furiawase : the touching of sleeves : an original story based on the early life of a Japanese-American dancer for ages nine to eleven. New York : Bank Street College of Education. https://educate.bankstreet.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1046&context=independent-studies
- ^ "The Dance: Events of the Week". New York Times. 1946-01-20. Retrieved 2023-11-23. - https://www.proquest.com/docview/107605876?pq-origsite=primo&accountid=10673
- ^ Hsiao, Irene. Teach Your Students About These Barrier-Breaking Asian-American Dance Artists. Dance Business Weekly (Online). New York: Dance Media LLC, 2021. : https://www.proquest.com/docview/2708291848?accountid=10673&parentSessionId=wtQqWm0uyS7%2BizRh7Fr1oDVkEQj6ebrVSdMfeo2%2B%2BuE%3D&pq-origsite=primo
- ^ a b Dale, Michael. "How Dancer Michiko Brought Authenticity To THE KING AND I After Imprisoned In Japanese Internment Camp". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- ^ Wallace, Nina (2023-01-10). "Happy 100th Birthday to These 17 Nisei Notables". Densho: Japanese American Incarceration and Japanese Internment. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
