Our Mission
KAMBARA+ is more than Artistic Director Yayoi Kambara. Through multi-hyphenate collaboration (dance, tech/digital interactive media, and music), KAMBARA + works with dancers, performers, and creatives to research and play. Together, we build projects.
THE TEAM
Founder/Artistic Director
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Yayoi Kambara (she/they) started her career as a professional dancer and currently directs and produces multi-media performance works, including film and XR (extended reality). In 2023 Kambara was recognized as a female stage director by Opera America. She was a co-interrogator of Izzie Award Winning Dancing Around Race and also a 200-hour certified yoga teacher. She is currently a PhD Student at UC Riverside. KAMBARA+ was founded in 2015 after Kambara’s retirement as a company member at ODC/Dance with a mission to create multidisciplinary performances that cultivate belonging.
General Manager
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Tiffany Schmidt (she/her) is an artist living in Dayton, Ohio working remotely as a company manager and producer for KAMBARA+. Tiffany received a B.A. in Dance with a Business Cognate in 2020 from the University of Akron where she was a member and treasurer of Terpsichore Dance Club and student assistant for The University of Akron - Dance Institute. She is a recent graduate of the APAP (Association of Performing Arts Professionals) Emerging Leadership Institute. Tiffany plays a vital role in the organization by overseeing producing, grant writing, accounting, social media, scheduling and other key administrative tasks that keep KAMBARA+ running smoothly.
Rehearsal Director
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Leesha Zieber (they/them) is a white-passing QTPOC dance artist based in San Francisco. They grew up moving and grooving in Santa Cruz before graduating summa cum laude from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in dance and mathematics. Leesha has had the pleasure of working with RAWdance, ayanadancearts, and Dance Brigade among others. They have been collaborating with KAMBARA+ since 2016. As rehearsal director, Leesha handles the administration of rehearsal space, KAMBARA+ archiving, and scheduling for all dance rehearsals ensuring the company's operations are well-organized and efficient.
Board Members
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Susie Williams is an arts administrator, facilitator and producer with over 20 years of experience in the culture sector. In the beginning of her career she performed flying trapeze and aerial acrobatics in both traditional and contemporary circus. She currently serves as Director of Operations and Productions at SANCA (School of Acrobatic and New Circus Arts). More recently, she served as Managing Director of Acrobatic Conundrum and facilitated the reactivation of the Georgetown Steam Plant. Susie taught circus technique at Aerial Arts NYC, STREB, Trapeze School New York and Pace University. She has a BA in theater from Northwestern University, was a Fellow in the BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) Professional Development Program and is a graduate of the APAP (Association of Performing Arts Professionals) Leadership Fellows Program. She loves performing arts of all varieties and is serious about playing tennis for fun. Susie lives in Seattle with her beau, three step daughters and one very bouncy dog.
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Karin Myint is a creative director, educator, and agency founder whose career bridges design, brand strategy, and storytelling. She currently serves as Director of Creative Services at Juliska, where she leads brand vision and creative direction across product, marketing, and visual identity. Over the past two decades, Karin has collaborated with leading design firms and companies including Pentagram, Frontgate, Chronicle Books, Apple, and Williams Sonoma. Deeply committed to the intersection of creativity and social impact, Karin has partnered with arts and advocacy organizations including BADG (Black Artists + Designers Guild) and Creativity Explored. In addition to her creative practice, Karin taught for several years in the Design Department at California College of the Arts (CCA). Karin brings to the Kambara + Dancers board a deep appreciation for collaboration, artistry, and the transformative power of design and movement.
