Lainie Sakakura
Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Guest Artist Choreographer • August 2-8
2011 School Programs
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The Experience
Lainie Sakakura trained with the San Francisco Ballet for 8 years before
joining Ballet Hispanico and then transitioning to her greatest love, musicals. She has performed on Broadway in Chita Rivera-The Dancer's Life, Flower Drum Song (revival), The King and I (revival), and The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public. She also appeared in FOSSE, in which she was Dance Captain and credited with Dance Reconstruction, working for years with Chet Walker, Bill Hastings, & Gwen Verdon to bring the show to Broadway. She was the recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Choreography for Damn Yankees at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago. Ms. Sakakura has taught all over the country, including the Joffrey Ballet School, STEPS on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, Alonzo King LINES Dance Center, New Jersey Ballet, University of the Arts, and as the owner/director of her own school, Dance Theatre Arts, in California. Ms. Sakakura has had the honor of working with Chet Walker for nearly 20 years, most recently as a member of WALKERDANCE.