Contemporary Dance in Tokyo
Watch. Learn. Create. Perform.
Founded in 1991, Kagurazaka Session House is an independent arts space in Tokyo, with contemporary dance at the heart of much of its performing-arts activity.
A distinctive independent venue, it brings a small theater, dance studio, classes and artist-development programmes together under one roof. On weekdays, the B1F studio hosts dance classes; on weekends and holidays, it becomes an intimate theater for performances.
Dance is central to this connection between studio and stage, but not the whole story. Session House also welcomes theater, music, traditional performing arts and exhibitions in its upstairs gallery.
Contemporary Dance Performances in Tokyo
Throughout the year, Session House presents contemporary dance alongside physical theater, performance, theater, music, workshops and interdisciplinary work. The programme connects artists at different stages of their careers, from a first short piece to an evening-length production.
The small theater keeps the audience close to the stage. Movement, breath and the detail of a dancer's body become part of a shared experience, rather than something seen from a distance.
Dates, artists and booking information are kept on our performance page, so you can find the current programme before planning a visit.
Mademoiselle Cinema – Our Resident Dance Company
Mademoiselle Cinema is Session House's resident contemporary dance company, founded in 1993 by choreographer and artistic director Naoko Ito. Based at our theater in Kagurazaka, Tokyo, the company creates and presents new work throughout the year.
Ito creates with the dancers, drawing on the memories and stories carried in each person's body. Her choreography and direction connect individual experience with shared questions about life, bringing dance and theatrical expression together.
Alongside its performances at Session House, the company has taken its “Traveling Dance” to audiences in Japan and abroad. This continuing exchange between creation, performance and travel is part of the artistic life of Session House.
Meet Naoko Ito · Watch “Tokyo no Okuni” – full performance archive
Dance Bridge – Connecting Artists Across Borders
Dance Bridge is a continuing Session House project connecting creation and performance. Its programmes bring together dancers and choreographers from Japan and abroad, using contemporary dance as a shared language for different cultures, memories and ways of seeing.
The 2025 programme, for example, connected artists from Japan, Korea and the United States through exchange performances. Each edition has its own focus: international exchange sits alongside new work, renewed encounters with existing works and collaboration between artists.
Current Dance Bridge productions appear in our English performance listings. For the wider project background, see the 2026 programme (Japanese page) and the 2025 exchange programme archive (Japanese page).
Dance Flower & the Session House Award
Dance Flower supports emerging dancers and choreographers by bringing selected works into a shared performance programme. It is part of a longer connection between first stage experiences, developing a work and meeting an audience.
The Session House Award recognises artists' work and encourages their development. Audience participation also matters: audience feedback and the audience award connect the act of creating dance with the experience of watching it.
Selected artists may receive further opportunities, including international exchange where the programme provides it. Recent editions have included an invitation to the NDA international dance festival in Daegu, Korea; this is a selected opportunity, not an automatic outcome for every participant.
Our English artist-opportunities page introduces the route into Dance Flower. Project details and award announcements (Japanese page) explain the current programme.
Contemporary Dance Classes in Tokyo
Weekday open classes are led by professional dancers and choreographers active in Japan and internationally. The contemporary programme includes dance foundations, movement research, contact technique and somatic approaches.
Classes welcome a range of experience, from beginners to experienced dancers. Choose a class that fits your interests and level; the class guide and teacher profiles explain the different approaches.
- No membership is required for the open classes.
- You can attend a single class; advance reservation is required.
- International visitors are welcome, and enquiries in English are available.
Classes are generally taught in Japanese. If you are unsure about the level or language support, contact us in English before booking.
A Place to Watch, Learn, Create and Perform
WATCH
Contemporary dance and performing arts in an intimate theater.
LEARN
Open dance classes led by professional dancers and choreographers.
CREATE
Programmes and workshops supporting new ideas and new work.
PERFORM
Opportunities for dancers and choreographers to present and develop their work.
Session House connects the studio and the stage. It is not simply a place to take a dance class or watch a performance, but a place where learning, creating, performing and watching dance are connected.
Contemporary Dance in Kagurazaka, Tokyo
Session House is in Kagurazaka, in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, about a 1.5-minute walk from Exit 1b of Kagurazaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line. The studio, small theater and gallery share one building.
Kagurazaka Session House
158 Yarai-cho, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 162-0805, Japan
Tel: +81-(0)3-3266-0461
Email: mail@session-house.net
