Podcast Episodes

Episode 14: Shizu Yasuda

by Rachel Caldwell

For episode 14 of the podcast, I have the joy of introducing you to Shizu Yasuda! Shizu is currently the Artistic Director of Ad Deum II Dance Company. She began her professional career as a freelance dancer in New York City, after which she performed nationally and internationally as a principal dancer with Ad Deum Dance Company.

Shizu grew up in Japan where she developed a passion for dance. She decided to pursue dance by moving to New York City, where she happened to witness the first Project Dance event taking place in Times Square. Through a series of events, or “God moments” as I like to call them, she auditioned for Ad Deum Dance Company and started a new adventure in Houston, Texas.

In our conversation, Shizu and I talk about some of her favorite experiences as a professional dancer as well as a director and choreographer. We talk about the power of art and the value of finding your voice as an artist. Shizu shares her faith journey through the challenges of life including illness, injury, and spiritual emptiness. She describes going from an atheistic worldview, to a season as a devout Buddhist, and most recently, her search for truth brought her to faith in Jesus. I am so thankful that Shizu and I have had the opportunity to work together and be in community together through Ad Deum.

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About Shizu:

Shizu Yasuda is originally from Japan. She joined Ad Deum Dance Company in 2004 and became a principal dancer in 2006. Since then, she performed and toured with the company nationally and internationally until she retired in 2014. While she was dancing with Ad Deum, Shizu was awarded as a “stunning performer” by Dance Houston City Wide Dance Festival in 2008. In 2011, she served as co-artistic event coordinator with Nao Kusuzaki, a former soloist of Houston Ballet Company to produce “Dancing for Hope –Japan Tsunami Relief Fund”, a joint charity dance concert with Houston Ballet, Ad Deum Dance Company, Biron Gymnastic Performing Team and Paola Georgudis. In 2013, she was invited as a guest performer and judge by Chelz Extreme Games in Minsk Belarus. 

After Shizu served as the longest principal dancer with Ad Deum Dance Company, she was appointed to the position of Artistic Director of Ad Deum II Dance Company in 2015. Since then, Ad Deum II has offered further performance opportunities to young dancers. Adding to the Ad Deum Christmas, Spring Concert and Project Dance Houston,  Ad Deum II started to expand its own performing opportunities by collaborating with several Houston local dance events and companies including Splendid China with DAA, Danscape, Artists for Hope, Vitacca Emerging Artist Festival, Dance 3, Dance Houston’s Celebration of Dance and Houston Fringe Festival. Also Shizu’s choreography was selected to Houston Choreographer X6 and Ad Deum II performed the world premiere of “Master Mind “ at JCC in 2019.

As a dance educator, she has been serving as modern and contemporary dance instructor in the Houston Dance Community at places such as Ad Deum Dance Company, Houston Ballet Academy Summer Dance Intensive, Mitsi Dancing School, Vitacca School for Dance, Studio of Dance (Robert Underwood), West University Dance Center and Houston Academy of Dance. She is also an American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum certified teacher in pre-primary level to level 5 and received ABT Affiliate Teacher Award in 2018-2020.

Links from the Show:

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