Our Identity & Mission
Founded by Aika Takeshima and Sara Pizzi, immigrants and queer women in New York. sarAika movement collective advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the dance ecosystem. By creating multidisciplinary collaborative performances, we spread awareness on topical aspects or personal insight. Through community programming, we provide accessible opportunities, local empowerment, and performing arts to the general public. We pursue these values of authenticity to bond our community to be inclusive and welcoming to all, trusting in the multidisciplinary aspects of collaborations to expand the potential of art delivery, creativity, and application. sarAika makes dance for and about people.
Core values
DEI
Led by certified DEI practitioner Aika Takeshima - we aim to provide a safe platform for growth within our communities. We strive to spread diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the dance industry. sarAika believes in diversity as a way to become more innovative and creative, building a space where all can feel respected and safe to be authentic to themselves. We make sure that everyone feels respected, within a sense of belonging and contributing by creating an inclusive environment and leveraging the diversity we have.
Collaborarion
The strength of the sarAika movement collective is its unique approach to interdisciplinary collaboration. sarAika's work with various art forms, including movement, theater, music, voice, painting, light painting, poetry, and AR/VR technology. Teamwork among artists with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and creative approaches was the defining factor that led to the success of sarAika. Embracing diversity leads to innovation, precisely what sarAika does, making their work accessible, unpredictable, and effectively delivered.
Commuity
Sara Pizzi and Aika Takeshima are immigrants, women, POC, and queer. As spokeswomen of those groups, we strive to create art representing and empowering the communities we belong to. Our collective comprises artists from our communities who perform and produce artworks that reflect topical aspects and personal insights delivered for our communities to spark empowerment, reflection, and inspiration.
VISION
Founding our vision in the statement, “Dance is an art form which expresses the emotions and feelings that human beings cannot express in words, questions our belief and opens up to unfamiliar perspectives.” sarAika movement collective’s vision is to offer dance experiences that authentically showcase diversity so that we can bring diverse, underrepresented voices to be listened to. This is by breaking down the typical performances by making performances experiences that speak about and for us, our insights, and our rights.
sarAika makes dance for and about people.
Sara Pizzi (she/her) from Italy, began her dance studies with Urban Dances performing in concerts, music videos & TV shows. In 2017, Sara moved to NYC with a scholarship from Steps on Broadway; later joining the Certificate Program, Contemporary/Ballet Track at Peridance Center, graduating in 2020. Sara is a company member of The Next Stage Project, Valerie Green/Dance Entropy, Light Painting NY, Six Degrees Dance, sarAika movement collective co-founded with Aika Takeshima & She define her creative space/identity S|R|P|Z in 2020. She was a guest artist/choreographer at CreateArt, Dixon Place, Green Space, City Center Studios, Lincoln Center Plaza, Movement Research, Gibney, HERE, The Brick & more; in 2022 she premiered her first commission for “Et Alia”. Sara is also educator for Musicamente, dance program for people with disabilities and Woodside on the Move, a preschool program for seniors and kids besides being teaching artist for Valerie Green/Dance Entropy and sarAika movement collective for community classes and residencies. Lastly, Sara is a photography/videography assistant for BECCAVISION.
Aika Takeshima(she/her) from Japan is a dance artist with a 10+ year career, a DEI practitioner, and a co-founder of the sarAika movement collective with Sara Pizzi. In 2014, Aika attended the International Dance Program at the Academy Peridance Center in NYC, working with Amy Jordan “Victory Dance Project Company,” Ashlé Dawson “ESTADO INGRAVITTO,” Julia Eshstrand, and Elisabetta Minutoli. She began her dance education with hip hop and locking, expanding further to ballet, contemporary dance theater, and jazz; now, her major is contemporary, with substantial floor-work and a unique mix of various dance styles. Aika is a performer for Light Painting New York by Chanette Manso, The Next Stage Project, and sarAika movement collective co-founded with Sara Pizzi. She was a guest artist for Dance Parade NYC, 7MPR, Dixon Place, The Craft, IKADA, JCAL, and BAAD! The Bronx, Movement Research, Dance Parade, Pride Parade, Japan Day, Japan Parade, SJAC, Creative Performances, The Dynamite Experience, Crossmove Lab, Queensboro Dance Festival, Turnout NYC, Liberty Hall Dance Festival, ESTIA, 3:33, 4533, Honey’s Brooklyn, EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE, HERE, JCAL, Red Tail Residency, The Brick & more; in 2022 she premiered her first theater commission for “Et Alia.” She is also a founder of “LIVABALL,” a DEI (Diversity Inclusion Equity) consultant whose ultimate goal is to help people find more freedom and possibilities in themselves, aiming to make society more livable.
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