Kanji Segawa is currently a member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater under the direction of Robert Battle.

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Originally from Kanagawa, Japan, Segawa began his modern dance training with his mother, Erika Akoh and studied ballet with Kan Horiuchi and Ju Horiuchi at Unique Ballet Theatre in Tokyo. In 1997, Segawa came to the U.S. under the Japanese Government Artist Fellowship to train at The Ailey School.  

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Segawa is a former member of Ailey II from 2000-02 and Robert Battle’s Battleworks Dance Company from 2002-10. During that time, he was a guest artist performing Mr. Battle’s signature solo Takademe in various festivals throughout the US including Dance Salad (2003) and Chicago Dancing Festival (2008 and 2010). Segawa also assisted Mr. Battle setting his work, Unfold on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and has restaged other Battle works on many universities and performing arts high schools throughout the U.S.

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Segawa worked extensively with choreographer Mark Morris from 2004-11, repeatedly appearing in Mr. Morris’ various productions including The Hard Nut, L'Allegro il Penseroso ed il Moderato, King Arthur with English National Opera​, Orfeo ed Euridice with Metropolitan Opera, and Romeo & Juliet ~ On Motifs of Shakespeare  as a original cast member.  Segawa also performed Cease Your Funning, a world premiere by Mr. Morris, that toured in the production Off Kilter throughout Scotland, UK.

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In 2011, Segawa performed as a principal dancer in John Adam/Peter Sellar’s Opera Nixon in China choreographed by Mr. Morris at The Metropolitan Opera. The production was transmitted globally to over 40 countries, and 1500 movie theaters, as part of The Met Live in HD Series.

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Segawa has worked closely with choreographer Jessica Lang since 1999, assisting her on new creations for American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and The National Ballet of Japan among others, and staging her work on many companies, universities and schools around the world. 

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Commercially, Segawa has worked with photographers Howard Schatz, Lois Greefield, Eduardo Patino and Steve Vaccarielle and has appeared in advertisements and print for Capezio, Galderma, New Dance Amsterdam, Dance Sprit Magazine, Lois Greenfield’s 2003 Calender Breaking Bounds, among many others. Segawa also appeared in several TV commercials for Lux Soap  (Lux Masquerade starring Rachel Weisz, Directed by Joel Schumacher).