Emiko Ishii, a British-born artist of Japanese descent, has spent over two decades pioneering a fusion of dance cultures while empowering artists worldwide. She is the founder and creative force behind Epika Global LLC, the evolution of what began as the award-winning Epika Dance Troupe. Epika stands for Empowerment, Purpose, Impact, Knowledge, and Authenticity—values that have guided Emiko from her earliest performances to building a global community of dancers, performers, and creative leaders.

Growing up, Emiko was shy and often doubted herself, but she found her voice through dance—telling stories through movement when words felt out of reach. Dance became her way of expressing who she truly was and opened doors to travel, culture, and community. While at university, she balanced military training, professional dance work, and cinema jobs, saving every penny to create her own company. From the start, her belief was simple yet powerful: with dedication and self-belief, anything is possible.

Along her journey, Emiko was often told there was no place for Japanese performers in the industry. Specialising in Indian, Japanese, and Hip Hop styles, she consistently had to prove herself and rise above doubt. At 13, her performing arts agency told her there were no acting roles for Japanese girls like her. Undeterred, she trained harder, and years later her determination landed her a lead role in a theatre production, and an independent feature film, proving her talent and perseverance. When clients doubted that a Japanese performer could master Indian dance, she rose to the stage and founded her award-winning Bollywood fusion company, specialising in Indian dance from Bhangra and Kathak to contemporary Bollywood. She moved to Los Angeles despite being told it was impossible—and succeeded.

Even after multiple ACL injuries and other physical setbacks on the job, when she was told to consider changing careers, Emiko persevered. She views every challenge and injury as an opportunity to grow stronger, physically and mentally, demonstrating the resilience that she now teaches to artists worldwide.

Her work is not just about personal achievement. In film school, she wrote and directed roles specifically for underrepresented minorities to ensure their stories were seen and heard. With Epika Dance and now Epika Global, she has created platforms where dancers from all backgrounds—those overlooked, doubted, or told they were “too old”—receive professional training, performance opportunities, and mentorship to excel in the industry. To date, she has trained thousands of dancers through international workshops, programs, schools and certifications, and co-founded BollyOn Dance, an internationally recognized Bollywood teaching qualification.

Her career highlights include performing and choreographing at the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, choreographing for Bollywood feature films, appearing on Britain’s Got Talent, and collaborating with award-winning actors and international brands. She has led global workshops across Europe, Asia, and the U.S., and worked as a creative consultant for high-profile productions.

Now based between Los Angeles and London, Emiko continues to evolve Epika Global, integrating her martial arts, stunts and self-defense expertise to teach artists a warrior mindset—helping them navigate rejection, injury, burnout, and the demands of a creative career. As a certified Ikigai Life Coach, she combines purpose-driven coaching with resilience training, equipping dancers, performers, and creative leaders to thrive not only in their craft, but also in life.

Featured photo credit: Tim Ladd Photography