​LAINIE SAKAKURA is a multihyphenate NYC-based theatermaker — director, award-winning choreographer (Joe A. Callaway Award, Joseph Jefferson Award), librettist, educator, and Tony-nominated, Outer Critics Circle Award-winning Broadway co-producer (GYPSY, CABARET, SUFFS) with Theatre Producers of Color. Her dynamic Broadway career spans nearly three decades and rooted in a rich artistic upbringing: shaped by the discipline of San Francisco Ballet and Vaudeville tapper Coralene Kerr—who inspired her lifelong love of Golden Age musicals, physical comedy, variety artists and the legacy of the great Black tap dancers of the 1930s.​

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Professional career began at Ballet Hispanico then moved to Broadway— Six original casts including FOSSE (dance reconstruction and onstage dance captain ), CHITA RIVERA: THE DANCER’S LIFE, THE KING AND I (Legacy Robe recipient), IBDB full list. Longtime advocate for diversity and inclusion in the performing arts, deeply rooted in her personal history—born to a Japanese American Internment Camp survivor and an immigrant mother. In 1994 Sakakura became the second AAPI Rockette at Radio City Music Hall and later co-founded Rockettes of Color Alumnae to build community among fellow barrier-breaking women and co-founded SAKACHEZ®, a mentorship initiative supporting young performers of color and new work development centering underrepresented stories. Striving to create theater and conversations that resonates across generations and cultures, she conceived and directed CELEBRATING AAPI BROADWAY STORIES 1951 - 1991 (public release May 2025) and MY AAPI BROADWAY STORY: BREAKING BARRIERS (Archival viewing TOFT) for Lincoln Center Public Library For The Performing Arts performed at the Bruno Walter Auditorium.​

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Librettist and Creative Producer - her greatest passion is developing CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET. The musical reimagining of Jamie Ford’s New York Times bestselling novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet with music and lyrics by Paul Fujimoto. Even though the perfect theater has yet to reveal itself, she continues to dream, create, and bridge the heart of classic Broadway with the future of the American stage to help build a more inclusive Broadway.

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Directing style - grounded in physical acting, shaped by my dance and acting career and deepened by decades of experience developing new works. Storytelling through music and movement allows us to reach beyond words. I am a passionate storyteller, intuitive leader striving to foster brave, collaborative environments where artists feel empowered to take risks and tell the truth. I have directed and developed 40 new works in NYC including The Joyce Theater, Cherry Lane Theatre, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Bruno Walter Auditorium, Neighborhood Playhouse, SummerStage Central Park, Theatre 71, The Duplex, Theatre 315, and Don’t Tell Mama. Received critical acclaim for her direction of LIZZIE at TheaterWorks Hartford.

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Choreography style - real people moving to music. Dance is a scene without text. GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING (Goodspeed Musicals) Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant wrote, "...choreographer Lainie Sakakura shines with ingenuity and progressive spirit. There’s a lot of casual, natural movement in the show that slyly grows into full ensemble dances."  I fully utilizes the power and impact of storytelling through movement without over-choreographing. Steps mean nothing without intention. If you don't know why you're dancing, then you shouldn't be doing it. Special passion for choreographing plays, physical acting and supporting great directors with their vision. ​

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Educator - guest director/choreographer, adjunct professor, guest teaching artist and/or speaker: at 15 Universities including NYU Tisch NSB, Pace University. Point Park University, University of Michigan, Yale. Ballet schools including ABT, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Hawaii, Jacob' s Pillow. Teaching schedule at STEPS Broadway​​​

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Producer - Broadway Tony nominated co-producer with Theatre Producers of Color. Independently produced and directed 40+ cabarets, new work readings, and multi-cultural/educational special events. 

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