Mamiko Usuda is a Japanese-born choreographer and contemporary dance artist based in the New York area. Her work grows from curiosity about people, relationships, emotions, and the small moments in everyday life that somehow stay with us.

Born and raised in Ibaraki, Japan, Mamiko began dancing at an early age and later moved to the United States to study at Point Park University, where she received her B.F.A. in Dance. Her years as a performer have taken her across Japan, Europe, Mexico, and the United States, working with artists from different cultural and artistic backgrounds.

In 2025, an injury changed her relationship with dance and became an unexpected turning point in her artistic practice. While continuing to perform selectively, she began focusing more deeply on choreography and developing her own artistic voice.

Her creative process often begins with observation and curiosity. An experience, an image, a relationship, a piece of writing, or a question can become a starting point for exploration. From there, she works through movement, improvisation, text, and collaboration, allowing each process to take its own shape.

Her choreographic work has been presented at CPR – Center for Performance Research, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Dance Canvas, SMUSH Gallery, Jersey City Theater Center, and Art House Productions. Her recent practice has also included collaborations with visual artists in New York and New Jersey. In 2025, she received a Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, supporting the development and presentation of The Body Remembers Lights.