Akiko Tokuoka to Present WAKASHU - TIMELESS BEAUTY OF THE THIRD GENDER at The Secret Theatre

Performance Artist Akiko Tokuoka's new work, "Wakashu - Timeless Beauty of the Third Gender" will premiere in Queens this November. The work, made possible in part by a $3,000 grant from Queens Council on the Arts (QCA), will be staged at Secret Theatre on November 12 and 13. More information and tickets are available at https://linktr.ee/wakashu.

This dance and performance piece celebrates gender freedom in a mashup and cultural exchange that merges the lush beauty of Edo period erotic illustrations with Glam and Club aesthetics. The cast of queer-positive talent from the world-renowned Iconic House of Ninja vogue to traditional Japanese melodies and perform Kabuki to house beats.

"Wakashu" - 若衆 (roughly translated to English as "beautiful youths") originated in the Edo period of Japan, when certain young men who had reached puberty but had not yet attained full-fledged manhood, became eligible for sexual relations with both women and men as a "third gender. This performance was originally inspired by New York Japan Society's exhibit, "Wakashu: Beautiful Youths in Edo-Period Prints and Paintings."

In the west, since the 1980s, Queer and creative young people have been obsessed with Japanese culture. At the same time, in Akiko's world, her Japanese peers who lived outside the norm, were fascinated with American culture. The "Wakashu, Timeless Beauty of the Third Gender" performance bridges those worlds while creating something new. The accompanying music are Japanese melodies, played on shakuhachi, koto, and shamisen and overlaid with house beats. The choreography blends styles from Kabuki to Vogueing.

Akiko Tokuoka is a New York-based choreographer and actress, originally from Kyoto, Japan. She has more than 15 years of experience as an artist performing vogue, ballet, contemporary dance, kabuki dance, baton twirling, and her specialty, freestyle dance. She is a cast member of BATSU! NYC, an authentic Japanese themed dining experience with interactive entertainment, since April of 2019. Her first original performance piece, Tanabata, debut in 2021 at Theatre for the New City and Kogame thanks to a grant from the City Artist Corps Grants program, presented by The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA).

The cast of Wakashu includes Akiko's collaborators from the Iconic House of Ninja - starring dancers Javier Madrid (aka ICONIC Javier Ninja) and John-Deric Mitchell (aka Star Ninja); DJ/Music Production by Steve Gonzalez (aka DJ Chip Chop), with Stage Direction by Melanie Johl.

This performance is made possible in part by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

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