Jazz Dance Academy Montreux - Kayoko Watanabe-Schneider

KAYOKO WATANABE-SCHNEIDER

Teacher holding the French state diploma (D.E.) in jazz dance in 2007
(with the congratulations of the jury and the inspector of the Ministry of Culture)

A family in art and music

Kayoko was born in Japan into a family of artists. Her mother is a ballerina and ballet teacher who graduated from the Royal Academy Dancing of London (R.A.D.) and currently runs her own school in Japan. Her brother is a pianist in Vienna (Austria) and also accompanies classes at the Ballet School of the Vienna State Opera (Balletakademie der Wiener Staatsoper). His father, a great lover of jazz and classical music, was awarded the first prize of critic of the music magazine Jazz "Swing Journal", very famous in Japan at the time.

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A career in...

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Jazz / Modern Jazz

Trained in classical, jazz and contemporary dance in Japan and then in France, Kayoko took classes at the Broadway Dance Center in Tokyo. At the age of 20, she began her career as a professional dancer there.

In 2000, she decided to move to Paris (France) to pursue her career and stayed there for 19 years. In Paris, she will be a performer for : Jean Guizerix, Candice Alekan, Lady Del, Philippe Fialho, Cécile Theil-Mourad, Patricia Castejon and Sylviane Catherine.

and in teaching

These Parisian years allowed Kayoko to make a name for herself, during professional training at the Harmonic studio, at Choréia or at the Kim Kan dance school. She took the opportunity to meet important personalities from the French dance scene.

At the same time, Kayoko is training for the state diploma of dance teacher, in the pedagogical section with Cathy Bisson, (teacher at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris). She obtained her diploma in 2007 and teaches in several international schools, conservatories as well as in a public school for professional training, where she passes on her know-how to young people who wish to become professional dancers.

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From France to Switzerland

Between 2005 and today she encourages her students to participate in national and international competitions (solo, duet and group) which allows her to win several French medals. She develops choreographic creations, in France but also in Japan with dancers from renowned classical companies. Kayoko is very active in the artistic world as a teacher, choreographer and performer. A true passionate artist!

Since March 2019 Kayoko has been living in Switzerland, where she has been offering summer courses at AFJD in Lausanne. She has also given regular classes at the Ecole de danse de la Côte in Morges and at the TJP school in Pully. She has also been invited to give jazz master classes and judge international competitions, such as in February 2020 at the Beausobre theatre (Concours International de Danse de la Côte). At the same time, since 2015 she has been in charge of her fusion ballet company, C.F.B.

And in November 2020, she creates and directs her academy, Jazz Dance Academy Montreux, affiliated in 2022 to the French Dance Federation (FF Danse).

In 2023, she created the Junior Jazz Ballet Montreux (JJBM), in the form of a junior jazz ballet company.

Photo Credits : Yoco Matsuno

Want to discover and learn more about
the Fusion Ballet Company?

Come and visit us

Rue de l'église catholique 14
1820 Montreux

9 mn walk from the Montreux SBB railway station
20 mn from Lausanne SBB station

Contact us

On +41 78 403 12 08

By email

IBAN

CH12 0483 5119 8001 6100 0 - CREDIT SUISSE
KAYOKO WATANABE JAZZ DANCE ACADEMY MONTREUX
RUE DE L'EGLISE CATHOLIQUE 14
1820 MONTREUX

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Affiliated to the French Dance Federation (FFD)

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