Noguchi at Night

On May 9, 2025, The Noguchi Museum hosted Noguchi at Night, a one-night dance and culinary experience with solo performances by the Martha Graham Dance Company. 

The evening included pop-up performances throughout the Museum, including Ekstasis (1933), Lamentation (1930), Satyric Festival Song (1932), and Spectre-1914 (1936), celebrating and extending the legacy of collaboration between two icons of the 20th century, Martha Graham and Isamu Noguchi. Guests enjoyed a selection of dishes by chef Kiyo Shinoki from Tonchin, Takumen, and Taku Sando, along with specialty cocktails. 

Proceeds from Noguchi at Night benefit The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum. Thank you to everyone who made this evening unforgettable.

Martha Graham (1894–1991) is recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century, alongside Picasso, James Joyce, Stravinsky, and Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1998, TIME magazine named Martha Graham “Dancer of the Century,” and People magazine named her among the female “Icons of the Century.” As a choreographer, she was as prolific as she was complex. She created 181 ballets and a dance technique that has been compared to ballet in its scope and magnitude. Her approach to dance and theater revolutionized the art form and her innovative physical vocabulary has irrevocably influenced dance worldwide.

The Martha Graham Dance Company has been a leader in the evolving art form of modern dance since its founding in 1926. It is both the oldest dance company in the United States and the oldest integrated dance company. Today, the Company is embracing a new programming vision that showcases masterpieces by Graham alongside newly commissioned works by contemporary artists. During its 100-year history, the Company has received acclaim from audiences and critics in more than 50 countries. “These men and women easily embody the choreographer’s sense of dancers as angelic athletes,” says Robert Greskovic of The Wall Street Journal, while Marina Kennedy of Broadway World notes, “This is contemporary dance at its very best.” Siobhan Burke of The New York Times asks,“Can this please never go away?”  marthagraham.org

Known to many as Kiyo, Kiyotaka Shinoki speaks through food, driven by an insatiable curiosity for the stories it tells. Pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a chef, he trained at a series of upscale restaurants in Tokyo after graduating high school, quickly rising to head chef at Daidaiya Ginza and later executive chef of restaurant group Ken’s Dining. During this time, Kiyo became increasingly involved in launching brands and restaurants, which sparked his lasting fascination with pushing culinary boundaries to create dynamic and memorable experiences.

In 2004, his ambitions took him to New York, where new experiences and a fresh perspective led him to realize that creative direction is critical in shaping a restaurant’s success and cultural resonance. Since then, he has stepped fully into the role of guiding restaurant groups and individual clients in launching cross-cultural businesses and brands.

Among his many successes in creative roles are the referral-only Bohemian New York, upscale cocktail bar Bar Goto, izakaya with American twist Takumen, and high-end ramen restaurant Tonchin, which opened its first U.S. location in Midtown Manhattan in 2015. Kiyo thrives on the challenge of staying true to Japanese foodways while embracing the unique possibilities each new opportunity offers. In 2022, he became the official creative director for Tonchin and played a pivotal role in launching its second and third U.S. locations in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, seamlessly integrating natural wines and seasonal local ingredients into the ramen experience. In 2023, he launched Taku Sando, a Japanese craft sandwich shop in Greenpoint as both co-owner and creative director, followed by a second location in Kyoto in 2024. He is currently overseeing the opening of Tonchin Mexico City, scheduled for 2025. kiyoshinoki.com