Originally from Japan, Yuko currently lives in San José, California. She has been teaching Brazilian dance since 2011, and is the dance director of Bloco Do Sol San José, an ensemble dedicated to the development and performance of samba percussion and dance. The ensemble is based in the School of Arts & Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
Yuko has lived in Salvador, Brazil, and has regularly attended Silvestre Technique dance intensive training at the Cultural Foundation of State of Bahia (FUNCEB). She has also been a student of Capoeira Angola since 2001, a martial art that is deeply connected to the elements of African diaspora in Brazilian culture.
Through discovering the possibilities of movements and rhythms, Yuko’s vision is to share the feeling of connection between individuals and the community, nurturing harmony with our body and mind as the base of creative expression and interaction.