She started sampling jazz and hip-hop at 18 in her native Japan and moved to the U.S. five years ago for more technical training in modern dance and ballet.

FORBES: Dance Diaspora

Founded in 1973, Cloud Gate (it gets its name from China's oldest dance, dating back 5, 000 years) is on a nonstop voyage through world cultures, fusing tai chi, meditation, Chinese opera, modern dance and ballet into an art form that has captivated international audiences.

CNN: ASIANOW - Asiaweek

In late 2006 he started to work at Kampala Ballet and Modern Dance School's new cafe and the following year joined a barista training course held by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.

BBC: African coffee champion takes on Uganda challenge

From tap to ballet to jazz to modern to hip hop and B-Boy styles, there are a million variations of dance that allow performers to express themselves.

FORBES: A Digital Place For The Global Dance Community

But it boasted little in the way of performing arts until its Music Centre opened in 1964, and even then no ballet to speak of and little modern dance.

ECONOMIST: Obituary