Rika Yotsumuto
MOTHERHOOD – a body of work //
choreographic reflections

As part of her residency, Rika Yotsumoto explores the theme of motherhood through art and performance. The starting point for her research is the question of how identity, self-perception, and individuality change when a woman becomes a mother. Themes such as care work, mental load, gainful employment, and societal role attributions converge in the experience of motherhood and offer a critical perspective on contemporary femininity. The research oscillates between a personal, physical-emotional approach and a socio-political perspective. The work is conceived as an artistic exploration of the complexity and multifaceted nature of this reality and is dedicated to its performative investigation.

Workshop

As part of her residency in June at villa\wigman, which focuses on motherhood, Rika Yotsumoto invites you to a collaborative workshop and discussion space. The afternoon is dedicated to sharing experiences, perspectives, ideas, and strategies on the topic of parenthood in the context of artistic practice.

What to expect:

• Inputs: Two brief perspectives from the institutional sector and the freelance field on working conditions in care work.
• Discussion & Brainstorming: A space for meeting, exchanging ideas, networking, and exploring the topic further together.

The workshop is primarily aimed at parents in the independent arts scene but is also open to anyone interested in this topic who wishes to explore it in greater depth. There will be no organized childcare or separate children’s program on site, but you are welcome to bring your children if needed. Please send a brief, informal email to rika.yotsumoto@gmail.com by June 3 to let us know you’re coming.

Rika Yotsumoto

Rika Yotsumoto is a contemporary dancer and choreographer from Dresden. She studied contemporary dance in Portland and, during that time, danced with the Oriantheatre Dance Company in France and Germany. Rika has lived in Dresden since 2018 and is particularly active as a dancer in the independent dance scene. She appears in cross-genre stage productions, video projects, site-specific performances, and other dance formats. Her artistic work includes collaborations with resident companies such as the Semperoper and the Staatsschauspiel Dresden, as well as with independent choreographers and dance companies, including go plastic company, Polymer DMT, KOMA&Ko, situation productions, Natalie Wagner, and Joseph Hernandez. In addition, she has been actively involved with TanzNetzDresden since 2019 and has served on the network’s board of directors since 2026. Her own choreographic works include “Porcelain Madness” (2020) and “Peng! Peng!” (2023, supported by explore dance – Network for Dance for Young Audiences).

Rika Yotsumoto is a resident at villa\wigman – Space for the Performing Arts as part of the residence plus residency program. residence plus is a project of Villa Wigman für Tanz e.V. and TanzNetzDresden e.V. in cooperation with the partners TanzART e.V. (Kirschau), Neisse Centre for Contemporary Arts e.V. (Görlitz), Kulturbaude und Landkunst e.V. (Heymannbaude Kleinhennersdorf), as well as TENZA and villa\wigman – Space for the Performing Arts (Dresden). “residence plus” is funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture, and Tourism and the City of Dresden – Office for Culture and Monument Preservation. This initiative is co-financed by tax revenues in accordance with the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.