Emiko Ishii

“I first met Emiko Ishii in October 2014 for a meeting to hire her company Epika Dance, for high profile events and to teach at SEN schools. She stood out coming from an East Asian background having immense knowledge and high skillset in South Asian dance including Kathak, Bhangra, Folk & Bollywood. Epika Dance presented an innovative fusion of Indian, Japanese & Western dance as well as Martial Arts that no other company in London possesses under one roof. She empowers and nurtures her dancers by training them to become leaders in dance as well as giving them endless opportunities internationally. I was highly impressed with Emiko and her ability to convey a story and genuine emotions through her performances, a skill that I believe only the best performers possess. So, when I had the opportunity to bring Emiko on to join our team at Akademi, I knew I had to take it. For the past 8 years, Emiko has worked with Akademi as one of our esteemed and leading performers in South Asian Dance including Illicit World of Indian Dance, Law Society Awards, House of Lords, World Travel Market at Excel, Incredible India, South Asian Heritage Month at ITV.

She has also performed as an individual with her company, Epika Dance. I have followed her career closely and have been amazed by her performances on notable stages including the Rich Mix, Incredible India, and World Travel Market at Excel London. In fact, Emiko was recognized as one of 40 under 40 South Asian Dance Artists to look out for by Akademi and was also nominated by ONE Dance UK Awards 2021. These recognitions are only afforded to the best in the industry and are a recognition of her excellence as a performer. 

Emiko Ishii has consistently proven her knowledge as a performer and her expertise in the field. She possesses professional integrity, which allows her to succeed in every job. I am confident that she will be an asset to the United States.”