Shōji Kojima

Shōji Kojima (小島章司, born October 1, 1939, in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese flamenco dancer.

Graduated from Musashino Academia Musicae (vocal music course) where he studied the vocal music, the piano, the classic ballet, the modern ballet, he came in contact by chance with the world of flamenco. Determined not to return to Japan until he became full-fledged flamenco dancer, he made an oversea journey to Spain by Transsiberian Railway in 1966. Putting down new roots in Madrid, he started training at "Amor de Dios", a legendary flamenco studio. Registered in 1967 as a member of National Ballet of Spain, he made a tour to U.S.S.R. on a Hispano-Soviet cultural mission. In 1968 he was recognized by the singer Rafael Falina and he debuted as a first dancer in Falina's company long-running performance. His appearance on a Televisión Española's program "Estudio Abierto" in 1970 familiarized his name nationwide. During his decade-long stay in Spain he performed on the best tablaos of the country such as "Los Gallos" (Seville), "La Taberna Gitana" (Malaga) to name just a few, and he marked a starting of "El Embrujo" (Seville) with Isabel Pantoja. In 1973 he performed in the welcoming ceremony for the Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and the Crown Princess Michiko held by Royal Family of Spain at Alcázar of Seville. After returning to Japan in 1976 he maintains energetic activities performing every year in a new work, setting up his own studio in Tokio in 1980. The Catalan guitarist Chicuelo has been the musical director of all his performances since 1993. In 2007 and 2009 he invited Javier Latorre as director-choreographer for Poetas en Guerra and La Celestina respectively. On February 27 his company, Ballet Shoji Kojima Flamenco, was invited to perform in the 15th Festival de Jerez with La Celestina en el Teatro Villamarta of the City of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.[1][2]

Awards
  • 1985 Art Festival Prize by Ministry of Education for Shin-i no homura (flame of wrath)
  • 1985 18th Dance Critics Society of Japan Prize for Shin-i no homura (flame of wrath)
  • 1990 Suzuko Kawakami Spanish Dance Prize for Los Gitanos: Amor y Ley (Gypsies: Love and Law)
  • 1998 30th Dance Critics Society of Japan Prize for Homenaje a García Lorca
  • 1999 Tokushima Prefecture Cultural Prize
  • 2000 Awarded the Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts for Luna (Moon)
  • 2000 Decorated with the Cruz de Oficial de la Reina Isabel (Order of the Queen Isabella in the Grade of Officer)
  • 2001 33rd Dance Critics Society of Japan Prize for Fantasía Atlántida
  • 2003 Received the Purple Ribbon Medal from the Emperor of Japan in recognition of his lifelong distinguished services.
  • 2007 39th Dance Critics Society of Japan Prize for the «love and peace trilogy»: El Cant dels Ocells: A Pau Casals, FEDERICO and Poetas en Guerra
  • 2009 Decorated with Encomienda de la Orden del Mérito Civil (Order of Civil Merit in the Grade of Commander) by the King Juan Carlos I of Spain.
  • 2009 Person of Cultural Merit
  • 2009 People's Honour Award of Mugi (Tokushima, Japan)
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References
  1. "El imperio de los sentidos" Diario de Jerez, 28 de febrero de 2011.
  2. "Kojima suma arte a la pasión" El Mundo, 28 de febrero de 2011.
  • 大久保元春『求道の旅人 小島章司とフラメンコの世界』角川SSコミュニケーションズ、2009年 (Motoharu Okubo, Pilgrim in quest of truth: Shoji Kojima and the world of flamenco, Kadokawa SSCommunications, 2009) ISBN 4-04-731806-X
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