A4 Reveals Naomi Funaki as the Recipient of the 2025 Jadin Wong Fellowship for Dance
The prize includes a $7,500 unrestricted cash award and eight months of professional development training and career support.
By: Stephi Wild May. 08, 2025
Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) has announced the selection of Naomi Funaki (she/her) for its 2025 Jadin Wong Fellowship, which includes a $7,500 unrestricted cash award and eight months of professional development training and career support to foster the next milestone of Funaki’s artistic career.
As a tribute to the life and work of renowned Chinese American actress, dancer, and comedienne Jadin Wong (1913–2010), a pioneer and innovator of Asian American performing arts, the Jadin Wong Fellowship is awarded to an early-career, New York City-based Asian American dance artist whose work shows outstanding promise and who may benefit from further professional artistic development. This award is made possible by the Jadin Wong Educational Fund at the New York Community Trust, established to continue her dream of supporting aspiring artists, musicians, and dancers of Asian descent.
The 2025 Jadin Wong review panel was composed of the following esteemed leaders in the field of dance: Renée Albulario, a performer, choreographer, and director known for her dynamic work on and off Broadway; Peter Chu, an award-winning movement artist and artistic director of chuthis.; Duke Dang, executive director of Works & Process; Sonali Skandan, a Bharatanatyam artist, choreographer, and artistic director of Jiva Performing Arts; and Kanon Sugino, A4’s 2024 Jadin Wong Fellow and company dancer with DOVA.
“We are honored to be able to administer this award to a dancer as talented as Naomi Funaki,” said Lisa Gold, A4’s Executive Director. “In light of the current political and funding landscape, initiatives like this are more important than ever for our community. There are no other fellowships quite like it, and A4 is proud to support the resilience of Asian American creatives.”
About Naomi Funaki
Naomi Funaki is an award winning tap dance artist from Tokyo, Japan, currently living in New York City. She was selected as a winner of Princess Grace Award 2023 as a performing artist and Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2024 as a choreographer and performer. She moved to New York to pursue her tap dance career in 2016, training at Steps on Broadway as an IISP student. She was selected for 2024–2025 Joyce Creative Residencies artists as a choreographer. She has worked with Ayodele Casel, Caleb Teicher & Company, Music From The Sole, and Dorrance Dance. She is an associate choreographer of “Diary of a Tap Dancer” at American Repertory Theatre, and assistant tap choreographer of New York City Center’s Encores! “Wonderful Town.”
@naomi.funaki
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