Yoshie ABE Kodo Deputy Ensemble Leader

Yoshie ABE
Name:
Yoshie ABE
Date of Birth:
Dec. 27, 1980
Birthplace:
Kunitachi, Tokyo

Profile

Yoshie Abe (née Sunahata) is currently serving as Kodo’s Deputy Ensemble Leader. She entered the Kodo Apprentice Centre in 1999 and became a member of Kodo in 2002. On stage, she is mainly featured on taiko drums and vocals. In 2009 & 2010, Abe appeared in the Akram Khan Company production “Gnosis,” where she played taiko, sang, and danced opposite Akram Khan. This performance earned her nominations in 2010 for the 11th Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards for Outstanding Female Performance (Modern) and the Olivier Award for Outstanding Contribution to Dance. In Dec. 2010, Abe stepped down from the Kodo stage to start a family, remaining within the Kodo group behind the scenes. In April 2016, as a mother of two, she returned to the Kodo stage under her married name: Abe. Since 2016, she has continued to collaborate with global artists, notably on recordings for dance productions including Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s “Pluto” and Akiko Kitamura’s “Cross Transit.” Abe also appeared as a guest artist in flamenco company Arte y Solera’s “Issui no Yume.” Since 2019, she has directed the annual Kodo Sado Island Performances in Shukunegi. She also directed “Kodo Special Performance in Asakusa 2022: Shoso,” which marked the 10th year of Kodo’s annual concert series in Tokyo’s Asakusa. In 2021, Abe assumed the role of Instructor Team Leader at Kodo Taiko School, where Kodo members teach online courses to students around the world.