Established in 2008, Miyazaki C-Dance Center (MCDC) is an artistic NPO that provides ‘artistic body activities’ and ‘shining dance experiences’ both in Japan and overseas. Members are choreographers and dancers active in Japan and overseas who, by supporting instructors and teachers who are enthusiastic about children’s expressive activities and learning in improving their sensitivity and leadership skills, open up the possibilities and rich sensibilities of the children’s bodies. Through the experience of thinking through the body and through performance activities, we are creating the future of dance.
（Photo by Nishi Junnosuke）
Activities such as the transmission overseas of the Japanese-style dance education combining physical form and artistic experience, and the online export (to Hong Kong, Romania, South Korea, Laos, China, Singapore, Australia, etc.,) of the evolved version of the same, , were selected as support projects for EDU-Port Japan in 2017, 2018 and 2021.
Last year, these creative international exchange activities and contributions to local communities were given recognition, and MCDC was awarded the 2024 Japan Foundation Prize for Global Citizenship. Launched in 1985, this award is presented to organizations deemed to have strengthened ties and cooperation between the citizens of Japan and other countries through international cultural exchange and the mutual exchange of insights, ideas and information. In 2024 MCDC was one of three organizations selected from a total of 210 self-nominated or nominated by others.
At the Award Ceremony held on February 5, 2025, Mr. Kurosawa, President of the Japan Foundation, gave as the reason for the award to MCDC the fact that in addition to our sponsorship of the unique combination of sports and dance and through our exchange activities in 15 countries, in 2019 we opened in Miyazaki City the , a facility that doubles as a kindergarten gymnasium and dance theater, where we are engaged in joint performances featuring local residents and artistes from overseas. The operation of a facility that has two aspects – a base for childrearing and preschool education, and a base for dance and training activities also open to local residents – contributes to the local community; in addition, our holding of events such as our <Children’s International Dance Camp> and were also highly rated for creating opportunities for interaction between local residents and children and artistes from overseas.
（Photo by Ayano SO）
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（Children’s International Dance Camp 2018 in Hong Kong）
Photo by Elsie Chau -
(International Dance Festival in Miyazaki 2024 Associated program <International Dance Workshop>)
Photo by Nishi Junnosuke
In his acceptance speech, the representative director of MCDC, Mr. Minowa, spoke of how as a student at the Department of Health and Physical Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Miyazaki he had met Associate Professor Rumiko Takahashi and worked on creative dance; how, encouraged by winning an award in a national ‘creative dance’ competition for students, in 2006 he formed Namstrops (‘sportsman’ spelled backwards), a contemporary dance company based on the concept of ‘creating new value by thinking upside down’ and how as a student entrepreneur he set up MCDC as an artistic NPO aimed at sustaining the activities of Namstrops and contributing to the local Miyazaki community. He also expressed his desire to convey to the world the high evaluation MCDC’s initiatives have attained so far and to re-import the results into Japan, so that people the world over will say, ‘If you want to co-create dance, Miyazaki is the place to do it.’ He concluded with the powerful words, ‘We will make Miyazaki the mecca for creative dance.’ In his remarks, he also said, in relation to initiatives by EDU-Port, that he thought Japanese-style education was wonderful in that from elementary school it ranks the creation of dance by all the pupils as a part of physical education.
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（©Japan Foundation） -
（©Japan Foundation）
At the Yokohama Dance Collection 2024* held in November and December 2024, Miyazaki junior and senior high school students who have been engaged in Sousaku Dance (Creative Dance) with Namstrops for nearly 10 years were selected as the youngest (13 years of age) finalists in the Under-25 Category (Competition II New Choreographer Division). The initiatives of MCDC, closely tied to its home town and balancing the enjoyable international exchange that is unique to physical expression with the contribution to the local community, is certainly raising a youthful power facing from Miyazaki out into the world.
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(Photo by Ohno Ryusuke / YDC2024) -
(Photo by Ohno Ryusuke / YDC2024)
（*A contemporary dance festival held every year in Yokohama. The program consists of a variety of programs, including a choreography competition that so far has sent some 500 choreographers out into the world; public performances by recent award winners; new works by choreographers active on the world stage; and collaborations with overseas dance festivals. ／from the Yokohama Dance Collection website）
