Tarahumara is a mysterious area deep in Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains. Dancer Hiroshi Koike chose the enigmatic name for the dance-drama company he founded in 1982 because he aimed to create beautiful performances that transcend genre.
Now aged 51 and the company's director and choreographer, Koike must have been thinking about the people of Tarahumara as well — said to be able to chase a deer until it drops, they are known as "the ones who run." Over the last 25 years, the Pappa Tarahumara Company itself has become renowned for its aesthetic, physical and musical productions.
The company has been around Japan and the world — Koike, who still occasionally performs with the 12 current members, says they receive 100 offers from abroad for every one from Japan. This year, they have performed in Seattle, Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur and in eastern Europe, and will make their debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in November.