ABSTRACT
This chapter illuminates the life of modern dance pioneer Michio Itō (c.1893–1961). His dance legacy was almost completely erased due to political and societal prejudices during WWII. Although Itō was America’s first Asian American choreographer, with a prestigious performance and teaching career that spanned both coasts, from New York City to Los Angeles, his impact was all but lost due to the aftermath of Executive Order 9066, which imprisoned and at times deported over 100,000 Japanese Americans and those of Japanese descent living in America from 1941–1945. This text explores the power of the reanimation of Michio Itō’s repertory as a form of social justice in the midst of a resurgence of Anti-Asian violence. The chapter retraces Itō’s life and work and restores him to his rightful place in the canon of the history of modern dance.
