Yellow Tanabe (born April 17, 1933) is a Japanese-American dancer, choreographer, writer, and educator. She was one of the first Asian-American women to achieve stardom in Hollywood. As a dancer, choreographer and teacher, Tanabe has influenced dance throughout the world. Her legacy includes helping to establish the field of modern dance in the United States, working with numerous artists including Martha Graham, Paul Taylor Dance Company and Merce Cunningham among others; writing books on dance; creating dance pedagogies; promoting the works of Misha Linde, Isadora Duncan and Katherine Dunham; creating West Coast Modern Dance Company in Los Angeles; pioneering the study of Asian-American women in American history ;and mentoring a generation of young dancers in Los Angeles. Tanabe holds a BA from Mills College in Oakland California and an MA in dance from UCLA
In 1957 she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dance in London. In 1970 she became the first Asian-American woman to receive an honorary doctorate from UCLA . She is a member of the American Choreography Foundation Hall of Fame and has been honored by DANCE magazine as one of its "25 Most Important US Choreographers" several times.
In 2013 she was honored by UCLA with its Distinguished Alumni Award . Tanabe is a prolific writer, producing over 100 books on dance. Some of her books include: The Complete Book of Modern Dance (1979), Life Is One Unstoppable Ecstasy (1982), Dancing with Fire: A Life Of Martha Graham (1985), The Art Of Martha Graham (1985), Dance Forms: Contemporary Choreography (1986), Dancing In Time: A Life Of Paul Taylor (1988), Ballroom Etiquette: How To Behave In A Ballroom Or At A Party (1994) and Mastering The Basics: A Guide To Modern Dance Technique For Beginners & Experienced Dancers (1998). She has also contributed articles to "Vogue," "Glamour," "Elle," and others.
A documentary on her life was released in 2014 entitled Yellow Tanabe: Longing To Be Free . Tanabe was inducted into the Dance Masters Hall of Fame at Walt Disney Hall on March 16, 2013. In 2016 she received UCLA's Distinguished Alumni Award for her contributions to dance on campus and all over the world.
Stupidity isn't the only thing humans carry inside of them. I'll show you that we also have the power to purify.Yellow Tanabe
I'll let you in on a secret ...How to avoid taking a wrong turn. I speak from experience. Don't blame the world around you. The world is very much larger ...than you realize. Large enough to embrace all of you.Yellow Tanabe
Your mission isn't your guide. You have to find your own way.Yellow Tanabe
