User:Danke2018/Eva kestner

Eva Kestner is a Japanese Folk Dance and Drum Artist. She is also an educator through workshops and school programs. She performs and teaches in Japan and abroad.

Education and background
Kestner was born to a Japanese mother and quarter German, Japanese father, and was raised in Tokyo, Japan. Her father introduced her to classical music and the piano, while her mother introduced her to Japanese art and music. She graduated from the International_School_of_the_Sacred_Heart in Tokyo, Japan. She then attended Cornell_University (Ithaca, NY) where she earned a B.A. in Philosophy. At Cornell, she co-founded a student taiko drumming organisation called Yamatai (Cornell Taiko). During her senior year, she invited a professional taiko drumming team called Bonten from Japan, and performed with Bonten at Bailey Hall, where she made her professional debut.

Career
After graduation, she joined Bonten to start her career, but made her solo debut after one year. She trained in Japanese folk dancing, Noh and Kabuki taiko, western percussion, street dance, and child education. Kestner also became the top dancer in an Awa Odori team associated with the Koenji Awa Odori Association. She gradually developed her own unique performance style where she mixes Japanese folk dancing, taiko drumming, western percussion, and street dance.

She performed at TedxTokyo in 2012. She also became an instructor for children's hip hop dancing at TNG Dance Academy.

Awards'
Kestner received the award of excellence at the Ichikawa New Artists Competition in 2013.