2015-2016 LEIMAY Fellow.
Haruka Akagi
Sound Operator for Evanesce.
Denise Shu Mei
Lighting Operator for Evanesce.
Umeo Saito
Music for Evanesce.
Marilyn McNeal
Music/Sound for Mongrel (Eclipse Version).
Jards Macale
Music/Sound for Mongrel (Eclipse Version).
Hamid Zahir
Music/Sound for Mongrel (Eclipse Version).
Franco Battiato
Music/Sound for Mongrel (Eclipse Version).
Justin Palermo
Video for Mongrel (Eclipse Version).
Sherry Dobbin
LEIMAY Advisory Board.
Dina Paola Rodriguez
SOAK Production Stage Manager.
Heeran Lee
2014-2015 LEIMAY Fellow.
Sarane Lecompte
Video for Mongrel (Eclipse Version).
Naoki Yoshimoto
Naoki Yoshimoto is a filmmaker. He wrote and directed Sanguivorous.
Herbert Von Karajan
Music for Labyrinth of the Body: EVENT.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Music for Labyrinth of the Body: EVENT.
Marcela Silva
Sound Operator for Labyrinth of the Body.
Keiko Hashimoto
Translation Assistance for Labyrinth of the Body.
Ian Wen
Performer for Labyrinth of the Body.
Aimee Robinson
Performer for Labyrinth of the Body.
Omaira Cifuentes
Omaira Cifuentes es una líder comunitaria, agricultora urbana y divulgadora ambiental de Chapinero, Bogotá. Desde el Barrio San Luis impulsa la huerta Maya Trabajadores de la Tierra, ubicado en los cerros orientales, donde muchas familias mantienen huertas caseras y comunitarias.
Sabedora del cuidado del suelo y especializada en compostaje, Omaira trabaja con los residuos de la zona para generar tierra fértil para huertas y espacios de siembra.
Como referente en agricultura urbana, trabaja en la protección de espacios como la huerta del CEFE de Chapinero y promueve la soberanía alimentaria, el compostaje y el tejido social. Además, es una voz activa en la red de agricultores urbanos y en espacios de participación comunitaria, ayudando a mantener vivas las prácticas agrícolas en la ciudad.
Photo courtesy: Jhon Barros, https://bogotamihuerta.jbb.gov.co/
Thomas Lehn
Analogue synthesizer for Masaki Iwana Butoh Solo.
Huerta Urbana Santa Helena
Una huerta urbana ubicada en el barrio La Perseverancia en la ciudad de Bogotá desde el 2007, y los puntos de encuentro e intersección con el campo de las prácticas artísticas contemporáneas. Partiendo de la historia de la huerta y de su fundadora Elena Villamil, se relatan propuestas realizadas conjuntamente con diversos artistas, relacionadas con la ecología de los alimentos, las tradiciones culturales alimenticias y los procesos culinarios.
Location: Carrera 5A # 31-40, Santa Fe, Bogotá, Colombia.
Huerta Urbana Madre Tierra
Ubicada en el Parque Portugal de Chapinero, Claudia y vecinos armaron una huerta dentro del Parque. Se trata de una huerta comunal que es mantenida y visitada por los vecinos del barrio, quienes a través del cuidado del suelo, protegen una comunidad.
Cualquier persona puede acercarse a participar, sembrar y llevarse lo que guste, porque, según su cuidadora Claudia, la tierra para quien la trabaja.
Credits: Foto del Instragram de la Huerta Madre Tierra
Location: Carrera 4a #58 – Parque Portugal, Chapinero, Bogotá, Colombia.
Huerta Siquie Bacatá
Ubicada en la Biblioteca Virgilio Barco de Bogotá, esta huerta urbana creada en julio de 2022 es un espacio de resistencia agroecológica que honra la memoria ancestral Muisca a través de su nombre (“camino de agua”). Bajo el cuidado de Mauricio Londoñ, Sergio Cárdenas de Oro, Cristian Moreno y Alejandro Cruz, en conjunto con vecinos de la zona la Huerta Siquie Bacatá combina agricultura sostenible (cultivos asociados, banco de semillas) con prácticas artísticas (cianotipias, serigrafías botánicas). Funciona como aula ambiental viva donde se realizan talleres de ilustración, construcción de pacas digestoras y laboratorios urbano-rurales, promoviendo la soberanía alimentaria y el tejido comunitario.
Location: Avenida Carrera 60 # 57 – 60 – Biblioteca Virgilio Barco, Bogotá, Colombia.
Finca Micaela
Alexandra Arias, María Isabel Orjuela, Laura Arias y Giraldo Quiroga son los agricultores urbanos que lideran la Finca Micaela. Un espacio biodiverso donde cultivan alimentos, mantienen un apiario, custodian plantas medicinales y preservan semillas nativas en colaboración con el Jardín Botánico. Allí transforman sus cosechas en alimentos y productos naturales como tónicos, bálsamos y cosméticos, manteniendo una economía familiar sostenible mientras protegen los saberes tradicionales.
Location: Calle 158 # 110-15, Avenida Corpas, Suba, Bogotá, Colombia
Elena Villamil
Maria Elena Villamil es agricultora urbana, creadora de suelo, campesina de ciudad y cocinera transformadora de Santa Fe (Bogotá). Nacida en La Perseverancia y radicada hace 24 años en San Martín Centro, descubrió su conexión con la tierra al cuestionar el origen de los alimentos. Sin experiencia previa, inició cultivando tomates en su patio y, tras capacitaciones del SENA, se convirtió en pionera de la agricultura urbana en su localidad. Promotora de la Red de Agricultores Urbanos de Santa Fe, combina sus saberes de cocina profesional con innovaciones agroecológicas. Su casa-huerta es un laboratorio vivo donde demuestra que la soberanía alimentaria es posible en la ciudad.
Créditos de fotografía: https://bogotamihuerta.jbb.gov.co/
Abuela Blanca Nieves
La abuela Blanca Nieves es mujer indígena sabedora, médica tradicional y partera perteneciente a la Comunidad indígena Muisca de Suba, del gran valle de Muyquyta. Guardiana ancestral del territorio Muisca de Bacatá y palabra mayor del Consejo de Mujeres de Suba. Hija de la Madre Laguna, nació en la Laguna Sagrada de Aguascalientes, donde creció entre huertas, humedales y quebradas cristalinas que alimentaban a su comunidad con peces como el capitán y animales como los curíes. Testigo viviente de la memoria ecológica y social de Suba, sabedora medicinal y defensora de los espacios sagrados Muiscas, lucha por la recuperación de los Pusmuyes (sitios ceremoniales), la protección de las aguas y el derecho a sembrar medicina ancestral. Su voz encarna la resistencia por la soberanía alimentaria, la memoria del agua y la reconstrucción del tejido sagrado entre humanos y naturaleza.
Programa Distrital de Estímulos
El Programa Distrital de Estímulos (PDE) es una de las estrategias de fomento para el sector artístico, creativo, cultural y patrimonial de Bogotá. Este programa integra los esfuerzos de la SCRD, IDARTES, IDPC, OFB y FUGA, con el propósito de fortalecer los procesos y las iniciativas privadas desarrolladas por agentes artísticos, creativos, culturales y patrimoniales. Esto se hace a través de convocatorias públicas o reconocimiento de la excelencia de procesos y trayectorias relevantes en el sector.
La oferta del PDE se compone de un conjunto de convocatorias dirigidas a tres tipos de participantes: personas naturales, personas jurídicas y agrupaciones. Estas convocatorias promueven el desarrollo artístico, creativo, cultural y patrimonial desde la sinergia entre disciplinas, lenguajes, áreas, géneros, técnicas, prácticas u oficios. Esto incentiva la multidisciplinariedad, la interdisciplinariedad y la transdisciplinariedad.
El programa cuenta con distintos ámbitos de implementación que fomentan diálogos y articulación entre enfoques, líneas estratégicas y áreas, con el fin de activar y fortalecer más espacios, comunidades y actores del ámbito cultural. De esta manera, estos espacios pueden convertirse en focos de expansión cultural para la revitalización de barrios y comunidades.
Secretaría de Cultura, Recreación y Deporte de Bogotá
La Secretaría de Cultura, Recreación y Deporte (SCRD), perteneciente al Sector Cultura, Recreación y Deporte, es un organismo del Sector Central con autonomía administrativa y financiera, creado mediante el Acuerdo 257 de 2006 del Concejo de Bogotá. Su razón de ser, como cabeza del sector cultura, recreación y deporte, es liderar la formulación e implementación concertada de políticas públicas en arte, cultura, patrimonio, recreación y deporte, así como la transformación y sostenibilidad cultural y deportiva de la ciudad.
Testimonial – Anonymous – Incubator
“Finding and renting a rehearsal studio when creating choreographies has been a significant burden, so Leimay’s incubator program was very helpful in my creative process.
The studio is in a convenient and trendy location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The studio with a sprung floor and a beautiful ceiling window was like my dream rehearsal studio.
The staff at Leimay was very friendly, supportive, efficient, and quick to respond to any of my questions.
Thanks to Leimay’s Incubator program, I could develop my practice of body movement and Zen meditation relationships.”
Remain Anonymous testimonial. 2024
Testimonial – Nikki Theroux
“Leimay’s Incubator Program gave me the gift of patient time. This program truly honors process over production, and this value enabled me to dive deeper into what really makes me curious as an artist. I feel like I have a much stronger and clearer idea of my own creative voice after this residency.”
Nikki Theroux, 2025
Studio Birdhaus
Brandon Perdomo is an artist from Great Kills, Staten Island. His work in archives, public & oral history, performance, and curation as a social practice instigates a reclamation of narrative power. Through his creative studio, Studio Birdhaus, he advances the Persistence Archive, a community‑centered public history intervention to document artists, organizers, and cultural workers through interviews and multimedia storytelling.
Visit studiobirdhaus.org
Merhnam Rastegari
Mehrnam Rastegari is a prominent Persian musician, award-winning film score composer, singer, violinist, and master Kamancheh player, who brings Persian music in new directions by combining it with rock and modern fusion styles. Her performances have taken her to international stages, including some of the most prestigious festivals.
Kanami Kusajima
Kanami Kusajima is a dancer, performing artist, and choreographer originally from Japan. She received a BFA degree in Dance from SUNY Purchase College in 2020. She has performed in dance works by various choreographers, including Francesca Harper, Yoshiko Chuma and Ana Maria Lucaciu. Since November 2020, she’s been performing at Washington Square Park and known as “Let Hair Down,” a performer who combines live painting and improvisational dance. Her unique style of performing art drew the attention of different media, such as Voice of America, New York Magazine, The Guardian, AM New York, and PIX11 News, among many others.
Emilija Berga
Emilija Berga (she/her) is an artist from Latvia. She received her bachelor’s degree in 2021 majoring in contemporary dance choreography in Latvian Academy of Culture. After that she worked as a part of collective ”SIXTH” in Latvia, as well as spent time in residencies and internships in Latvia, Amsterdam, New York, and other countries. She has been working both as a dancer and choreographer, and currently is studying a master’s in Fine Arts in Parsons School of Design in New York City. Her practice spans from dance and choreography to photography, video, and installation work with a focus on embodied ways of making.
Kaila Bulé
Kaila Bulé is a New York City-based singer, poet, songwriter, and drummer deeply rooted in Afro-Dominican and Afro-Caribbean traditions. The daughter of cultural ambassadors Toné Vicioso and Nina Paulino—practitioners of Afro-Dominican roots rhythms—she was raised in a vibrant musical legacy, including her mother’s 15-year-long festival, Quiskeya en el Hudson. Kaila has performed as a vocalist and percussionist across the diaspora,
mastering Palo, Bomba, and Plena traditions.
A sought-after voice for Black and Indigenous liberation movements, her poetry and activism reflect a lifelong dedication to organizing and ancestral reverence. As an auricular activist, herbalist, and holistic health practitioner, Kaila channels her spirit and artistry toward collective liberation, sacred justice, and divine freedom.
Marco Buccelli
Marco Buccelli is a Neapolitan-born producer, composer, and drummer based in New York. He produced Xenia Rubinos’ critically acclaimed albums Black Terry Cat and Una Rosa, as well as highly regarded records for Giovanni Truppi, including Tuo Padre, Mia Madre, Lucia, which competed in the Sanremo Music Festival (2022). Additionally, Marco reimagined the work of legendary Italian artist Fabrizio De André on Nella Mia Ora Di Libertà, featuring esteemed performers Vinicio Capossela and Mauro Pagani. A graduate of Berklee College of Music and a seasoned performer, Marco has toured internationally, appearing at prominent venues such as Lincoln Center, MoMA, the Pitchfork Music Festival, North Sea Jazz, and the Montreal Jazz Festival.
His commissioned compositions include collaborations with acclaimed visual artist Alex Da Corte and the film score for Straighten Up and Fly Right, produced by Armando Croda and Lindsey Cordero.
Anthony Carrillo
Anthony Carrillo hails from a proud Puerto Rican musical heritage. With a career spanning over four decades, he has graced prestigious stages worldwide, performing and recording with renowned artists such as Eddie Palmieri, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Paul Simon, and Harry Belafonte. An integral member of acclaimed Puerto Rican groups like Batacumbele, Descarga Boricua, and the metal band PUYA, Carrillo has been hailed by Palmieri as “the best bongocero in the universe.” In 2023, he was honored by Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives in San Juan for his cultural contributions and role as a global musical ambassador. Carrillo plays exclusively on MOPERC percussion instruments and collaborates with craftsman Francis Mercier to develop MOPERC’s Puerto Rican and Cuban percussion series.
Tiziana Bertoncini
Violin for Masaki Iwana Butoh Solo.
Juta
Music for Naked Water.
Seda Musaoglu
Sound operator for Naked Water.
Umeko Ando
Music for From Under This Sky.
Mary Oliver
Viola for From Under This Sky.
Hisako Horikawa
Perfomer for From Under This Sky.
Wayne Horvitz
Wayne Horvitz is an American composer, keyboardist and record producer. He came to prominence in the Downtown scene of 1980s and ’90s New York City, where he met his future wife, the singer, songwriter and pianist Robin Holcomb. He is noted for working with John Zorn’s Naked City among others.
Kazuhisa Uchihashi
Kazuhisa Uchihashi is a Japanese guitarist involved in free improvisation music. Born in 1959 in Osaka, Uchihashi began to play the guitar at age 12, playing in various rock bands, though he later studied jazz music. In 1988 he joined the band the First Edition, and in 1990 formed the band Altered States.
Tim Keegan
Tim Keegan is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. Vocalist and principal songwriter with Departure Lounge since 1999, Keegan has recorded and performed with various bands and as a solo artist.
Merzbow
Merzbow is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by Masami Akita, best known for a style of harsh noise music. Since 1980, Akita has released over 500 recordings and collaborated with numerous artists.
Miyu Leilani
General Assistance for Voyager.
Jasmin Perrow
Box office for Voyager.
Elena Ciardella
Light board operator for Voyager.
Inge Gill Klossner
Costumes for Voyager.
Dr. Doering
Clarinet for Voyager.
Michael Thalmann
Music for Enduring Freedom.
Ninni Morigia
Music for SURFACE.
Andy Moor
Music for THE NYGHTBYRDZ.
Danielle DiCamillo
Dancer for Becoming.
Cori Kresge
Dancer for Becoming.
Erica Abbott
Dancer for Becoming.
Lindsey Parker
Dancer for Becoming.
Katie Griffler
Dancer for Becoming.
Masumi Kishimoto
Dancer for Becoming.
Mariko Kurihara
Dancer for Becoming.
Nana Tsuuda
Dancer for Becoming.
Rie Kiyomiya
Dancer for Becoming.
Ruriko Kato
Dancer for Becoming.
Ryoko Takada
Dancer for Becoming.
Reina Asao
Dancer for Becoming.
Kiokka Williams
Dancer for Becoming.
Iratxe Ansa Santesteban
Choreography for Becoming.
Fred Hatt
Lighting works for Nation of Compassion 2
Conversation – NYU Tisch Performance Studies, 2017
Panel: “The Body and the Book: Artistic Research in Today’s Academy”
By NYU Tisch, with Ximena Garnica, Katherine Profeta, Ben Spatz, Dana Whitco, Andre Lepecki, 2017
Conversation – Sustaining Arts Labor: Past and Present, 2023
Panel: “Sustaining Arts Labor: Past and Present”
By Artists Alliance Inc, with Tom Finkelpearl, Ximena Garnica, Arlene Goldbard, Mei Lum, Patrice Walker Powell, 2023
Conversation – New Research in Dance Studies: In-Tension-Ally-Ties, 2018
Lecture: “New Research in Dance – MATERIALITY. Ximena Garnica. In-Between-States”
By UC Riverside, with Ximena Garnica, Luis Lara Malvacias, 2018
Conversation – Watermill Center Viewpoints Lecture/Presentation, 2021
Lecture/Presentation: “Viewpoints with Ximena Garnica and Shige Moriya”
By The Watermill Center, with Ximena Garnica, Shige Moriya, 2021
Conversation – Research Spotlight: Advocating for “Small-Budget” Dance Makers, 2021
Symposium: “Research Spotlight: Advocating for “Small-Budget” Dance Makers”
By Dance/NYC, with Stephanie Acosta, April Biggs, Carrie Blake, Greg Youdan, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, Ximena Garnica
Conversation – Performing Arts x Advocacy, 2021
Town Hall: “Performance Arts x Advocacy”
By Asian American Arts Alliance (A4), with Ximena Garnica, Brooke Ishibashi, 2021
Testimonial – Lemon Guo, Stanford Residency
“LEIMAY is such an incredibly passionate, dedicated, and creative group of artists that brings life to any collaborative environment. We were so lucky to have them in residency with us at Stanford.”
– Lemon Guo, 2024
Testimonial – Jess, A Meal Work in Progress
“I am always appreciative of how LEIMAY creates performances that activate their audiences. We are approached and respected as curious, full-bodied people who are there to share in a collective moment.”
– Jess, Audience member at A Meal Work in Progress, 2022
Conversation – Taylor Talks Interview, 2021
Interview: “Taylor Talks: HERE Resident Artists talk art & process with Taylor Mac, Episode 6: Ximena Garnica & Shige Moriya”
By Howlround Theatre Commons, With Taylor Mac, Ximena Garnica & Shige Moriya, 2021.
Testimonial – Akiko Nishijima, Alius Bodies WIP
“LEIMAY and CAVE have been creating art projects for many years that are open to the community. They are always independent, supportive, and challenging something new.
Last month when I saw LEIMAY’s new work-in-progress, their stance stayed the same but the work has deepened!
I’d like to support LEIMAY just like they support us in the community. It is a gem.”
– Akiko Nishijima, 2021
Testimonial – Peggy Resnick, Alius Bodies WIP
“I was in the audience at CAVE Home of LEIMAY when Krystel Copper and Masanori Asahara gave their all in Alius Bodies (work in progress) by Ximena Garnica and Shige Moriya. I felt I was watching an Egon Schiele painting come to life. Krystel and Masanori created a three-dimensional moving and living sculpture whose every movement was so deeply felt. What an incredible experience!”
– Peggy Resnick, 2021
Testimonial – Audience member at Hurleyville Arts Centre, Alius Bodies
“I know you said, don’t try to make sense of it, and so of course, the entire time I was trying to make sense of it. . . I had a whole script in mind that was happening. Basically, a birthing of these beings. . . And they started to communicate a little bit. So then when the monkey [song appeared]. . .What is that? Because they’re in the primordial soup! It was interesting to try not to make sense of it, and then to have my mind blown by that!”
– Audience member at Hurleyville Arts Centre, 2019
Testimonial – Audience member at Hurleyville Arts Centre, Alius Bodies
“A lot of the movements were unfamiliar to me, they weren’t reminiscent of anything else, but at the same time, like with the words, it wasn’t just gibberish, it wasn’t, ‘Oh, just do something that no one has seen before.’ In a way, It was very intentional. So, how do you create movements that were so unfamiliar and so intentional?”
– Audience member at Hurleyville Arts Centre, 2019
Testimonial – Alessandro Anglani, Watermill Summer 2019
“I would say that this type of work is developed on two levels: the first, given by the strong image that is created, is the first impact that hits the public. These almost alien beings, despite being perfectly recognizable as human bodies, which are found inside this showcase, like observatory animals, that try to stand upright but are punctually dragged by the sand to the bottom, certainly generate a strong emotion for the spectator, along with a whole series of reflections that are not “explained” and are not didactic. The second level is from the inside perspective: the dystopian environment definitely requires a great deal of psychological concentration and physical control, but it is equally interesting because it connects you to a more intimate self. It is very easy to slip into memories and feelings that belong to a life that we often forget in our daily routine. Personally I refer to my childhood and to the relationship with the earth, with sand. In all this the use of the voice increases the distance with respect to reality, using words that do not exist and enhancing this “alien” effect. In essence, an experience for those who assist and those who participate that’s unique.”