Ikue NAKAGAWA is a choreographer, dancer, actress and designer, based in Brussels. Born in Japan, she studied at Osaka University of Arts, then continued her training in France at CDC Toulouse. As a dancer, she has worked with choreographers Frank Micheletti (Koko Doko, Mondes Monde, Coupures, Archipelago, Tiger Tiger Burning Bright) and Eun Yong Lee. As an actress, she worked with director Pascal Rambert (To Lose, All of Life, Before You Come Back, Libido Sciendi). She also works in collaboration with Jean-Frédéric Chevalier (Aboad, Typology of Unexpectednes), Lorenzo De Angelis (HALTEROPHILE, Personne), Brune Campos (ICI, KOKOKARA//PARTY D'ICI). At the same time, she has always practiced drawing. In 2018 she began personal choreographic work. That year, she created a trio for Indian dancers, YUTEN, at the Night of Theater Festival in India.

Then in 2021 she created the solo NAKAMI at the Teatro Pradillo in Madrid (Co-production: Charleroi Danse; support: Trimukhi Platform, Japan Fondation New Delhi, Alliance française du Bengale, Workspace Brussels, Le Bamp, Le 140, LookIN'OUT, Fédération Wallonie- Brussels research grant,).

She then continues her work with the creation of the solo TAMANEGI at the Brigittines in Brussels in 2022 (Co-production: Charleroi Danse, Les Brigittines, C-TAKT, Le Vivat, La Place de la Danse - CDCN Toulouse/Occitanie. With the help of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Support: BAMP, La Bellone, La Briqueterie - CDCN Val-de-Marne, National Choreographic Center of Roubaix / Ballet du Nord). This play won the Grande Scène prize in October 2023.

In this solo, as in the previous one, NAKAMI, human-sized puppets interact with the body of the choreographer. Each of his projects originates from his drawing work. She uses drawing as a way to look at and talk to herself on a daily basis. She draws what she feels in her daily life as a mother, wife, woman and individual. Since NAKAMI, it is thus the medium of expression that she favors to have access to her inner worlds and to initiate creation: at the same time creative support, script, score or portfolio, it helps her to cross the layers of the mille-feuilles of which it is composed, and to emancipate itself from the limits of the bodies represented or danced. Each series of drawings that she creates then gives rise to a scenography that she creates to introduce the body and create a piece. Ikue Nakagawa is currently working on a new project: KUROKO, the creation of which is planned for 2025 at Cndc Angers.