{"id":135198,"date":"2026-02-16T15:56:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T15:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/135198\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T15:56:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T15:56:30","slug":"this-tap-dancer-from-japan-uses-new-york-city-landmarks-as-her-backdrops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/135198\/","title":{"rendered":"This tap dancer from Japan uses New York City landmarks as her backdrops"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emiko Nakagawa is a tap dancer from Japan who lives in New York. And she has an Instagram<\/a> following that\u2019s in the tens of thousands. There is a reason for that. Nakagawa\u2019s exuberant, athletic videos<\/a> show her dancing in front of major New York City landmarks, like the Brooklyn Bridge to music by Daft Punk, or in Times Square to music by Masego.<\/p>\n

\"AEmiko Nakagawa, 28, from Tokyo has been tap dancing almost her entire life, starting from the age of six when she says she was immediately hooked.Courtesy of Sayaka Masumoto<\/p>\n

In a midtown Manhattan studio with mirrors and ballet barres, it took no time to get Nakagawa up and dancing.<\/p>\n

\u201cTap dance is my life,\u201d Nakagawa said, laughing. The slim, energetic dancer sported a black turtleneck and gray cargo pants, and her feet created complex rhythms, in a way that seemedeffortless.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old from Tokyo has been tap dancing almost her entire life, starting when she was 6 years old. She said she was immediately hooked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I took the tap dance class for the first time I felt like \u2018oh, it is very interesting,\u2019\u201d she recalled, \u201cbecause I can create a rhythm by myself and I can introduce my own rhythm to the other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nakagawa moved to New York in 2021 to study in the international program at the Broadway Dance Center<\/a>, which is when she began creating short videos set to hip-hop and contemporary pop music in streets and parks around the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe speed and clarity of her footwork, of her choreography, is remarkable and fascinating. I mean, it draws you in,\u201d said Ryan P. Casey<\/a>, who profiled Emiko Nakagawa in Dance Magazine\u2019s \u201c25 Dancers to watch in 2026.<\/a>\u201d It\u2019s a list of the 25 up and coming dancers to watch from the entire dance industry \u2013 including ballet, modern, Broadway \u2013 from all over the world.<\/p>\n

\"AEmiko Nakagawa moved to New York in 2021 to study in the international program at the Broadway Dance Center, which is when she began creating short videos set to hip-hop and contemporary pop music in streets and parks around New York City.Courtesy of Sayaka Masumoto<\/p>\n

\u201cShe consistently churns out these speedy, intricate, mesmerizing videos, oftentimes on a small tap board, which is also intriguing because the limitation of space is such an interesting factor,\u201d Casey added.<\/p>\n

Nakagawa creates this magic on a foldable wooden board, just a little bigger than a doormat. And the videos are shot from below, so viewers can see, not just her feet, but her whole body and her location.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really love to show my people who follow me on my Instagram both the beautiful New York view and my tap dance style,\u201d Nakagawa explained.<\/p>\n

She developed her style by studying traditional American tap dance techniques in Tokyo with a teacher who rigorously trained her. Her technique is unique because she knows old-style tap, but her choice of music and movement is contemporary.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to do the street style to move a little bigger, like widely, with my tap dancing,\u201d she explained. \u201cI just want to combine hip-hop, like, street style and tap dancing. This is my style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her first Instagram hit was set to Eminem\u2019s \u201cGodzilla,\u201d followed by dances to Kendrik Lamar, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, among others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I admire so much about Emiko at this point in her journey is she\u2019s extremely technically capable, but she\u2019s also very interested in style,\u201d said Caleb Teicher<\/a>, a Bessie Award-winning dancer. They first came across Emiko Nakagawa on Instagram \u2014 and have since become a mentor and collaborator.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe doesn\u2019t just make a lot of sounds and those sounds aren\u2019t just clean,\u201d Teicher explained,\u201c but she is formulating a personal expression, a personal perspective through tap dance. When I see Emiko dance, I know it is Emiko dancing, even if I didn\u2019t see her face or the outline of her body, I would know it\u2019s her way of dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

She may be young, but Nakagawa has already danced with tap superstars like Michelle Dorrance<\/a>, in places like the Joyce Theatre<\/a> and Jacob\u2019s Pillow<\/a>. And she says she has big dreams: dancing on Broadway one day.\u00a0 But she doesn\u2019t want to stop there.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest dreams for me is to be a bridge between other countries and Japan,\u201d Nakagawa said, \u201cbecause the Japanese tap dance community is very small, so it needs to be inspired by other countries\u2019 artists. So, I really want to bring the tap dance spirit of New York.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spirit is a word Emiko Nakagawa uses a lot. And it\u2019s something she finds hard to contain. When she speaks, she is soft-spoken and still. But when she dances, she is electric.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has a long journey ahead of her,\u201d Teicher said. \u201cShe\u2019s still quite young, and even though she\u2019s done a lot and has amassed a great following and has some great credits to her name, she has a lot more she can do as a dancer and choreographer, a tap dance artist. So, I\u2019m excited to see what she does.\u201d<\/p>\n