Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2009 Eiko and Koma: Dance Philosophy and Aesthetic Shoko Yamahata Letton Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact
[email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VISUAL ARTS, THEATRE AND DANCE EIKO AND KOMA: DANCE PHILOSOPHY AND AESTHETIC By SHOKO YAMAHATA LETTON A Thesis submitted to the Department of Dance in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2009 The members of the Committee approve the Thesis of Shoko Yamahata Letton defended on October 18, 2007. ____________________________________ Sally R. Sommer Professor Directing Thesis ____________________________________ Tricia H. Young Committee Member ____________________________________ John O. Perpener III Committee Member Approved: ___________________________________________ Patricia Phillips, Co-Chair, Department of Dance ___________________________________________ Russell Sandifer, Co-Chair, Department of Dance ___________________________________________ Sally E. McRorie, Dean, College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance The Graduate School has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii Dedicated to all the people who love Eiko and Koma. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been completed without the following people. I thank Eiko and Koma for my life-changing experiences, access to all the resources they have, interviews, wonderful conversations and delicious meals. I appreciate Dr. Sally Sommer’s enormous assistance, encouragement and advice when finishing this thesis. I sincerely respect her vast knowledge in dance and her careful and strict editing which comes from her career as dance critic, and, her wonderful personality. Dr. William Sommer’s kindness and hospitality also allowed me to work extensively with his wife.