Claudine Naganuma

dNaga’s mission is to offer art programming that cultivates creativity and builds connections. We can build new pathways to problem-solving with creative thinking and help heal trauma, interrupt systemic oppression, and serve as a tool for liberation. Founded and directed by CLAUDINE NAGANUMA, dNaga creates work rooted in the interview process, tackling themes such as the incarceration of Japanese Americans, racial profiling, mental health, systemic issues facing our youth, medication, surgery, and palliative care. In that vein, dNaga has been offering a Dance for PD® program in partnership with Danspace since 2007, and includes intergenerational community members in their performances. dNaga’s GIRL Project is in residence at EastSide Cultural Center, offering a multi-disciplinary art and empowerment program for POC girls since 2014. The dance company recently performed in Kyoto and Tokyo at the World Parkinson Congress (2019), published a book entitled Peace About Life: Dancing with Parkinson’s, and was included in Dave Iverson’s documentary Capturing Grace about dance and Parkinson’s disease. By culling the wisdom and personal stories of our elders, we can learn how to better care for ourselves and develop a better understanding of our world and our place within it. For more information about dNaga, please visit dNaga.org.