Matilda Sakamoto is a choreographer, movement director, dancer, and actor based in Brookyln and Los Angeles. Her work can be seen on stage and film. She made her acting debut at the Public Theater in the world premiere of The Michaels and the Michales Abroad, by Tony Award-winning playwright/director Richard Nelson. It was chosen as a New York Times Critics Pick, and nominated for a Drama League Award.
Matilda presents work throughout the US and internationally. She was a 2020 Ann & Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellow at Jacob’s Pillow. She was chosen to be a 2020 dance resident at Art Omi and resident at the Barn at Lee. She has presented work at Highways Performance Space in Los Angeles. Matilda was commissioned to create a new work for the NEXT@Graham series at the Martha Graham Studios and the Juilliard Summer Dance Program in 2018. She has also shown work at Dixon Place’s UnderExposed series, Triskelion Arts’ Summer Fest, Chen Dance Center’s Newsteps Series, STUFFED at Judson Memorial Church and more.
Internationally, Matilda has choreographed an original dance opera, “William William” in collaboration with Petr Kotik, of the Brooklyn-based S.E.M. Ensemble. The opera enjoyed premieres at Kotik’s NODO festival in Prague and the Paula Cooper Gallery in Chelsea, New York.
Her credits as movement director include music videos for Wet, a Columbia Records signed indie-pop band, and their song “Old Bone”, “Tender” by neo-R&B singer and 88rising Creative Director, TIN. “Tender” premiered on Billboard.com. “Persephone” for indie duo Daisy the Great which premiered on Under the Radar Mag. Barrie managed by Winspear. She has also collaborated with Los Angeles based designer Erika Maish and NY designer Terrence Zhou.
As a dancer, Matilda has performed in theaters, museums, and on film. She is featured in Apple’s AirPod commercial, ‘Snap,’ directed by Kim Gehrig. Other commercials include GAP’s “Dream the Future” Holiday 2020, Oscar Mayer, Meta and Skillshare. She was featured in Nick Mauss’ “Transmissions”, a live dance installation at the Whitney Museum. She has been in music videos for the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Go Robot”, Katy Perry’s “Resilient”, Will Oldham and Bill Callahan’s “She’s my Everything”, indie-pop artist Shura, a retrospective for music artist Sia and more. Matilda works on projects with choreographers such as Helen Simoneau, Nicole Von Arx, Esmé Boyce, Ashley Robicheaux, Brice Mousset and Hivewild.
A native of Los Angeles, California, Matilda received a BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School.
Matilda is represented by UTA