Meet Manatsu Tanaka | Performer, Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Manatsu Tanaka and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Manatsu, how do you think about risk?

For me, the risk-taking comes with me being unapologetically queer and authentic through my art. In the dance world, or in any industry to be honest, we learn quickly that there is a ‘type’, a ‘style’ that is more accepted and favored because that is what the industry wants and it is ‘marketable’. To know what is sought and know how to execute that from your own palette is indeed a skill, and as a performer, to a certain degree, is useful. But if that is something that makes you morph into some sort of shape that is not you, or even worse, to be “back in the closet”, is it really worth it?

I started to realize that I was hyper-fixated on my career only as a Performer and have forgotten that I am a creative being with so much to offer.

For the longest time, I admit that I have been using my artistry and creativity to prove myself to others; that I am a hard worker, that I am talented enough, and that my skills are unique enough to offer to the world.
But that is in the past now.
I have finally started to see the light that could help me find my purpose as an Artist.
I want to use my artistry and creativity to offer healing, spark conversations, inspire new perspectives, and see things from a different angle.
I am finally at a place where I want to intentionally offer my creativity and artistry through my body as a vessel to do so. I feel that I have come to a place where I have the courage and an artist statement, a mission strong enough within me that I want to be at the frontline with my works and creative practices. Especially for non-binary representation in the dance world.
It is just me being me, a non-binary Japanese artist and a performer with a side shave and long seaweed hair, and my chest with my transtape. (Chest binding tape)

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I have always been a creative person and honestly, and though it wasn’t an easy smooth path, I kept following my intuition and my passion to get here where I am today.

But I think that the moment of true determination and commitment that I was going to pursue this profession didn’t come until after the pandemic.
When I just entered the ‘real world’ I was definitely just running the race of the industry blindly. Now I feel confident that I have found a very strong purpose as an artist, determined to continue my artistic and creative journey. My commitment to have full accountability and responsibility for what I want to offer to the world through my creativity and artistry has been activated. I simply want to keep on working to continue to evolve as a performer adding depth and dimensions with what I can offer to the world.

I became more proactive and engaged with not only my career but also with my life.

When the lockdown happened and we all lost our jobs, that’s when my visa I was on back then also expired and my artist visa application process timeline was on hold. I had no other choice than to pack my bags and fly back to Japan, which is where I am from. I remember feeling very hopeless with my career because up till the lockdown, I was just about to expand my career now that I was pretty established in the community, and then all of a sudden I had to move back to my home country, where I had zero connections in the performance field, without knowing if I would ever be able to come back to NYC again, where my dearest closest people were.

The fact that I felt isolated in my home country made it more devastating. I remember having a strong feeling of just wanting to ‘belong’ somewhere.
But it is true that the darkest hours happen in your life to do some self-work. Because I really feared the pandemic might make me leave from dancing, I really fueled my own fire to keep on going; I submitted and presented solo works, went to workshops, intensives and there I would talk to many dancers working in Japan to learn how to find auditions and make connections (unlike NY, audition listings have very limited access to the public and usually they are only shared through agents)

If it wasn’t for the pandemic, I wouldn’t have been able to establish myself in Tokyo, which led me to travel back and forth and having gigs in both cities, Tokyo and NYC throughout 2022.

Tough times are not the most fun. But if you allow yourself to sit with it, take the time and figure things out and actively engage with the situation you’re in, the outcome will always be beautiful and become something bigger and unexpected.

Now I am on the journey of really taking the time and care to nurture myself as an artist, choreographing my own works. What is my purpose as an artist? What message am I trying to send out to the world?  How to articulate my vision, and name the unnamable so that I can pass it along to others. Because I know I have something unique to me that I want to share with the world through my art.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to the piers and to a couple of my favorite parks here! Yes, Broadway and Times Square are great, but also NYC has so many hidden, secret spots to chill and relax.

I recently found out that Fort Tryon Park in Inwood has this perfect lawn for stargazing and seeing the moon. For the Super Blue Moon in August, that is where I spend a couple of hours enjoying the night sky, and sometimes I go out there before dawn. I would also like to take my friend around to go see many shows and performances- from Broadway to local performances. Especially in Brooklyn, the Bushwick area has a variety of local artists and dance companies doing performances there. And obviously, the clubs and nightlife in that area are also something I would love to take my friends to, especially if they have never been to NYC before.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

Hard/Femme Dances https://hardfemmedances.wixsite.com/hard-femme-dances

This Dance Company has been a huge part of my journey in NYC. Founded by my beautiful, talented, inspiring friends, Kelsey Rondeau and Hunter Sturgis in 2018, Hard/Femme Dances has been creating works on a shared vision of storytelling, queer themes, and the transformative power of glitter.

Hard/Femme Dances truly had a major impact on me to find this unapologetic proudly queer Manatsu as a human being, an Artist, and a Performer. It really feels good to be able to just be myself and have constant support from my community, which was something that I have been looking for the longest time especially when I was growing up in Japan.
This dance company is also a constantly evolving, growing company and I feel very special to be on a path of evolution at with them. Every time I get to perform with Hard/Femme Dances, I always return to this company with an evolved version of me, and just like I acknowledge the growth of this company, I am also able to acknowledge my own growth. I am extremely grateful to have known and have a special connection with this company.

Immense gratitude to Hard/Femme Dances!

Website: https://www.manatsutanaka.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manatsu.tanaka/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@manatsu.tanaka/about

Image Credits
Human Works Daisuke Kimura Couca Halsey Pierce Robert Altman Photography