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Eddie Taketa is not comfortable talking about himself, but put him on stage and he will express himself eloquently through dance. Taketa remains
grounded after 20 years
on world stageBy Vivien Lee
Special to the Star-BulletinThe Hilo native, who has lived in New York City almost as long as he lived here in Hawaii, will be returning to do just that, performing with the Doug Varone Co. at the University of Hawai'i Kennedy Theater on March 16 and 17. In addition, one of Varone's pieces, as taught by Taketa, will be performed by students from his alma mater during "Alumni Fest" tomorrow through Sunday.
Taketa spoke by phone from Wisconsin where the Doug Varone Co. is on tour. "It's freezing! There's snow and ice everywhere. I can't wait to get to 80-degree weather in Hawaii!," he said.
By most standards, Taketa has "made it" in the competitive world of professional modern dance. For almost 20 years, he has been paid to do what he is passionate about, having danced with an impressive list of top modern dance companies including the Murray Louis Dance Co. and Lar Lubovitch Dance Co. Since 1994 he has been with the Varone Co.
Performing and teaching dance has taken him all over the United States., Canada, Europe, Asia and South America. In 1998, he received the New York Dance and Performance Award for "sustained achievement in dancing."
"I have been blessed to be able to work so much ... It's all been quite a gift," he said, modestly attributing this to luck. But early mentors in Hawaii would undoubtedly cite enormous talent as the reason for his success.
UH modern dance teacher Phyllis Haskell "saw something in me and pushed it along," he said. Ballet teacher Reiko Oda "kept my dreams grounded in reality" and UH ballet teacher Yasuki Sasa "showed me the playfulness and spirit of dancing."
On stage
What: University of Hawai'i "Alumni Fest"
Also
But he owes it to Carl Wolz, then director of dance at UH, for getting him into his first dance class. Taketa had been studying engineering, but after three semesters he decided to take a semester off to explore other options.
He signed up for computer science, but was curious about dance. Unfortunately, the dance classes were all full. Wolz was manning the registration table (in the days of manual registration at the old Klum Gym) and asked if Taketa wanted to be a dance major. On impulse he blurted out "Yes!" just to get into the class, and Wolz allowed him to register.
The rest, as they say, is history. He had found himself. Although he has tried other kinds of dance, modern dance is what he always comes back to.
While still at UH, he was invited to join a small dance company in New York City. He had never lived anywhere else but Hawaii, so it was a major change to move to such "a crazy and intense place." But having a job, an identity and a community of people made the adjustment easier. He did have to work as a waiter for about a year, but after that, it's been all dance.
Taketa has been so busy that his visits to Hawaii are infrequent, the longest being six weeks one summer to finish his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. His parents, still living in Hilo, have only seen him perform twice since he moved away. "I'm excited to have the rare opportunity to share with them what I do, the life I chose."
This past January, Taketa returned to his alma mater to teach a dance choreographed by Doug Varone to UH students for the annual "Alumni Fest."
Because Hawaii is such a spiritual place, Taketa said he believes something special comes through dancers trained here. It was "an absolute pleasure to work with the students; they do the work justice with their energy and spirit."
Taketa was coy about revealing his age. Suffice it to say that some chronic physical ailments and an urge to "settle down" have caused him to think there will be a major transition in his life soon.
He has no specific plans. "My instincts and intuition have always served me well."
Is Hawaii home? After a thoughtful pause, "Yes, as far as my spirit and soul. There is no place like Hawaii anywhere else."
Vivien Lee has had the pleasure of dancing
with Eddie Taketa at the University of Hawai'i
where she received her Master of Fine Arts
degree in dance.
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